0
0
Dozens of audio files can be used to convert a song, but the really useful ones can be counted on the fingers of one hand: here they are
When we think of an audio file, most of us immediately think of MP3. It is certainly one of the most popular audio formats, but not the only one. Let’s take a look at the most popular audio formats and the differences in their use. And which of them should we choose depending on our needs.
There are several categories of audio files. First, we have the formats defined as uncompressed. The word itself defines this part of the file. In this case, the captured sound waves are converted to digital format without further processing. What does this translate to? In files that are very hard to save and take up a lot of space. In order to create audio files that are easier to save and less heavy, lossy data compression formats have been developed. They sacrifice some quality for a small amount of disk space.
To remedy this shortcoming, i.e. the loss of quality in favor of the file size, lossless compressed audio formats were created. Of course, they won’t be as small as with lossy compression, but they will still be smaller than uncompressed files. However, it should be said that these types of formats are not widely used except in special cases.
PCM
PCM is the most common audio format used on CDs and DVDs at home. It is a faithful conversion of analog audio to digital file. It is no coincidence that we are talking about an uncompressed audio format. Remember that analog sounds exist as waveforms, and in order to convert a sound wave into digital bits, the sound must be sampled and saved at certain intervals.
WAV
WAV stands for Waveform Audio File Format (it was also known as Audio for Windows in the past, but is no longer). It is a standard that was developed by Microsoft and IBM in 1991. WAV files can contain compressed and uncompressed audio formats. However, in most cases, the uncompressed ones are used. Although it was designed for Windows, you can also open it with a Mac.
MP3
This is certainly the most famous audio format. It was released in 1993 and has grown in popularity over the years due to its combination with musical works. Why are they so popular? Quite simply, they are lossy compressed files, and the generated files are so small that people can create music libraries without needing much disk space. And the quality? It is much lower than other formats, but the human ear is not always able to perceive the significant difference. MP3 is also a universal file. It can be found on smartphones, computers, televisions, tablets and many other electronic devices.
WMA
WMA stands for Windows Media Audio. It was first released in 1999 and has undergone several evolutions since then, always keeping the same name. As you might guess, this is an audio format created by Microsoft. It was designed to replace MP3. Unfortunately, very few platforms support it and therefore it has never been able to overcome the dominance of MP3.
OGG
OGG is not a true compressed audio format. We can define it as a multi-functional multimedia container. It can accommodate all kinds of audio formats, but is commonly used to store Vorbis files. It is one of the best performing files in terms of reducing size without losing quality.
FLAC
FLAC stands for Free Codec Lossless Audio. It is a lossless compressed format created in 2001. A FLAC file can be compressed up to 60% of its original size without losing sound quality. Moreover, it is an open-source format. Therefore, it is supported in most programs and devices. It is the best quality alternative to MP3.
