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Common audio file formats explained

If you know one audio file format, itll be the MP3.

Its one of the most common file formats out there, popular for its versatility and mass compatibility.

the apple music app on a smartphone next to some airpods

Ogg Vorbis and Spotify have been going steady for years…

This makes it the preferred choice for professionals but not your average music sharers.

This means you should get more energetic and realistic-sounding audio.

There are a few benefits of OGG that make it popular for digital media streaming.

A promo shot of Spotify’s new DJ feature.

Ogg Vorbis and Spotify have been going steady for years…

Firstly, its open patent, so streaming services dont need to pay to use them.

That said, there’s plenty of compression used here to get those nice small file sizes.

MQA was designed as a superior system to compress, send anddecompressmusic for streaming on devices.

AAC compresses audio, but with greater compression efficiency, and so certain streaming services use it.

Youll get no points for guessing who uses the Apple Lossless Audio Codec, or ALAC.

Yep, its the Cupertino giant, and you may have heard it referred to as Apple Lossless before.

Its also compatible on all iOS devices and a few other players like VLC.

PCM stands for pulse-code modulation.

Certain types of physical media, like LaserDiscs, use it.

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