(Newswire.net — August 25, 2023) — Smartphones and PCs store Digital audio in the audio file format. Also, bit layout is the method used to encode audio data as bits in a file. These bit configurations can be left uncompressed or compressed using lossless or lossy encoding.
Once you realize there are three categories into which all audio formats are probably classified, it becomes rather simple. You can choose the format within a category that best meets your needs once you understand what the different categories mean.
Hence, this article lists various popular audio formats that you should be aware of before downloading any audio from music download sites.
Different File Formats Available
PCM
Pulse-Code Modulation, or PCM, is a digital representation of unprocessed analog audio signals. Waveforms represent analog sounds. In order to transform a waveform into digital bits, you must monitor it and record it at set intervals.
The “sampling rate” and “bit depth” of this digital audio format exist. An almost perfect replica of analog sound is provided by digital recording.
The most typical audio format found on CDs and DVDs is PCM. Samples are collected at linear intervals in the PCM subtype known as Linear Pulse-Code Modulation. The two acronyms are now practically synonymous because LPCM is the most popular variation of PCM.
WAV
WAV stands for Waveform Audio File Format. IBM and Microsoft created this standard in 1991.
Many people believe that all WAV files are uncompressed music files. However, this is not true. Windows uses WAV as a container for various music file types. This implies that a WAV file might contain compressed audio.
The majority of WAV files include PCM-formatted uncompressed audio. The PCM encoding is simply wrapped in a WAV file. This makes it more compatible with Windows platforms. However, Mac systems often have no trouble opening WAV files.
AIFF
AIFF stands for Audio Interchange File Format. Apple created the AIFF audio file format for Mac computers back in 1988. Much like how IBM and Microsoft created WAV for Windows.
AIFF files, another audio format that resembles WAV files in certain ways, may hold several audio types. For instance, GarageBand and Logic Pro both employ a compressed version known as AIFF-C and another version known as Apple Loops. Both of them employ the same AIFF extension.
The majority of AIFF files include PCM-formatted uncompressed audio. Since the AIFF file is really a PCM encoding wrapper, Mac systems can utilize it better. Windows operating systems, meanwhile, typically have no trouble opening AIFF files.
MP3
MP3 stands for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3. When it was first made available in 1993, it gained enormous popularity and finally overtook all others as the default audio format for music files.
You can easily read and play MP3 files on almost all digital devices. Including PCs, Macs, Android phones, iPhones, and Smart TVs. The reason MP3 is one of the most widely used audio file formats in the globe is that it never fails to provide when you need universal.
AAC
AAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding. It was created in 1997 as MP3’s replacement. But although it became widely used as a digital music format, it was never more widely used than MP3.
When comparing the same recording in MP3 & AAC formats with the same bitrate, the AAC one will typically have higher sound quality since the AAC compression algorithm is far more sophisticated and technical than the one employed by the MP3 music file type.
Although MP3 is more extensively used today, AAC is still popular. It is the typical audio compression technique used by platforms including YouTube, iOS, Android, iTunes, newer Nintendo portables, and PlayStations.
OGG
These audio file types are known as OGG Vorbis files since OGG is a multimedia container that can carry a wide range of compression formats but is most frequently used to hold Vorbis files.
Because it conforms to the open-source software principles and outperforms the majority of other lossy compression formats, Vorbis gained popularity after its initial release in 2000.
OGG has struggled to gain traction since MP3 and AAC are so well-established; few devices natively support it. However, this is changing over time. Most passionate supporters of open-source software currently utilize it.
WMA
WMA stands for Windows Media Audio. Since its initial release in 1999, it has undergone a number of changes while retaining the WMA name and extension. It’s a Microsoft-exclusive file format.
It turns out that WMA’s technique of compression is rather similar to that of AAC and OGG. WMA was created to address several issues with the MP3 compression method, just like AAC and OGG. Therefore, WMA actually outperforms MP3 in terms of objective compression quality.
However, few devices and systems support WMA because it is a proprietary format. When MP3 isn’t sufficient, it’s just more practical to choose one AAC or OGG rather than WMA because it doesn’t provide any actual advantages over those two formats.