6 Most Popular Types of Audio Files

We all listen to music daily, because the audio files They are found practically everywhere. From major multimedia content such as movies and series, to the songs of our favorite artists or the voice calls we make with our cell phones.

But there are big differences in each of these media and it is the audio format, which will determine the quality of the sound, whether they are compressed or whether they retain all their composition values, so we are going to learn everything about these files.

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What are Audio Files?

We say that an audio file or format is one that contains the entire sound composition packaged in aspects such as quality, playback speed and also the amount of labels that we can insert into them.

For example, in some formats it is possible to add the album art, its track number and even insert the lyrics, but in others we lose quality or they are simply designed for be reproduced by a specific medium.

The 6 Most Used Types of Audio Files

There are few sound files available on the market and depending on the ones you select, you will be able to create projects of good or bad quality, although you should also analyze other considerations such as codecs.

We have classified each audio according to its formats through six different categories, which are based on user selections and what you can achieve if you choose any of them, so we invite you to read until the end.

1. Uncompressed audio formats

This type of format is preferred by content creators and those dedicated to professional audio editing, because they work by combining different bit rate or sampling frequencies, in order to not lose the original quality in the process.

Generally these sound files are work in the rough with recording and editing, to finally convert them into another format after all the changes have been completed, according to the needs of the project.

PCM

PCM It is widely used for converting analog audio to digital, which stands out for not affecting the sound quality, but rather ends up amplifying and improving it in some cases, which allows it to be used in media such as CDs.

Examples of PCM-based formats include: (.WAV) used by the operating system Windows, (.AIFF) offered by MacOS computers and (.BWF) created by the European Union and preferred by the sound industry and audio editing programs.

2. Lossless compressed audio formats | Lossless

They are known as compressed audio formats and lossless to those files that, although they have a specific compression in other formats, quality is not sacrificed or at least not in a destructive way.

Los Lossless audio formats They work on encoding the entire audio track, including the silent spaces, giving both the same bit rate and according to the selected time units.

This gives us a result less heavy audio file, but in a format that can be read by a larger number of players. The lossless compression process takes longer to process than any other.

FLAC

FLAC is a digital audio file much heavier because its compression is practically lossless. In the process, a compression format (.FLAC) is applied, which preserves almost 100% of the original quality, but takes up to five times more space than a lossy compressed format.

WMA Lossless

A version of the Windows WMA format, although with the difference that deep compression is not applied but rather without destroying or deteriorating the original audio.

WavPack Hybrid Mode

The format WavPack (.WV) has a modality of hybrid compression where two sound files are generated in the process. One is compressed and lighter in weight, while the other retains its quality but weighs much more.

3. Lossy compressed audio formats

Los lossy compressed digital audio formats They are the most commonly used by users because the end result is a very light and good quality file in most cases, although it can also be destructive.

These types of sound files attempt to remove certain information from the audio that, although not audible to the human ear, are part of the total integration of the audio file, so by removing them, you also definition is subtracted.

MP3

There are not a few who prefer the format (.MP3) because it is the most famous and supported by playback devices, both physical and digital media. This format is more flexible in editing and compression can eliminate up to 50% of the original weight.

However, MP3 is a file that many classify as destructive because it gets rid of part of the sound quality that, although generally not distinguishable by an untrained ear, those who know about the subject they notice the changes considerably.

AAC

AAC is not a single format as such, but rather a coding system that is much lighter than MP3, with a significant loss. We are talking about a file that is used to transport sounds and is expressed in various formats. (.m4b, .mp4, .m4v, .aac, .m4p, .m4r and 3gp).

WAV

In the case of WAV We have a variation between its files because there are several versions of the format, including the lossless one we already mentioned. However, it is generally a light format and not so completely lossy.

4. Open audio formats

Un open audio format It is used for telephone systems, allowing the transportation and transmission of sound through multiple media, attempting to preserve the integrity of the file.

Open sound formats also tend to be less known or used in the digital realm, including the Internet, as they are often encrypted and require certain standards in order to be reproduced correctly.

GSM

GSM It is a good codec that can be forma tear with WAV and a few other formats. This was developed for use in the European telephone system because it can carry call audio in exceptional quality.

DCT

Conceived as a dictation codec, DCT is based entirely on the confidential audio transportation. These files tend to be encrypted so that their content cannot be read by any player.

VOX

Something similar to DCT is VOX, which is another format similar to WAV, with the difference that it cannot be read or played without first specifying the channel numbers or the sampling frequency at which the file is encoded.

5. Open and free audio formats

There is a difference between open formats and those that are open and free, and that is that the former may be tied to legal considerations of the use of technology, while the latter may be reproduced in the short, medium and long term. no inconvenience.

That is why the free open formats They are preferred by many, as they can carry sound and be played at any time without their creators making claims for their use or for the content.

speex

We have speex as an audio codec used for voice, which is formatted with (.OGG) and stands out for not establishing restrictions regarding the use of the file in different players, that is, it is free.

vorbis

Also know as Ogg Vorbis, is a codec that provides us with greater flexibility for bitrate compression, so it is developed with a general purpose. Of course, it is not the most well-known on the market.

▷Read: How to Improve Mp3 Audio Quality with Audacity ▷

6. Owner Formats

Los owner formats They are the opposite of free software. While they tend to be open for public use, they are subject to legal considerations and limitations set by their owners and developers.

Curiously, most of the most widely used audio files in the world are owned by owners, who have not limited their use to date, but rather encourage their use by users.

List of the most popular proprietary formats

• MP3
• ACC
• WAV
• ATRAC
• M4p