However, unlike lossy compressed alternatives, the compression algorithm used is all-encompassing and doesn’t throw out any information from the original digital audio. Lossless Compressed Audio File FormatsĪs one might guess, lossless compressed audio file formats also undergo a compression process that shrinks their file size down from the original audio recording or source file. The average listener with a digital music library can appreciate lossy compressed audio files’ convenient, memory-efficient qualities. Most music listeners are not neurotic audiophiles like myself who inspect audio quality under a microscope. A casual listener who just wants to listen to downloaded music in the background from their computer’s or phone’s local memory will find lossy compressed file formats perfectly acceptable, likely without taking issue with sound quality. Lossy audio file formats are best for c asual listeners who download music. Secondly, it is the smallest audio file format on this list. Firstly, it is a multimedia file type, which means it can carry both audio and video information. OGG stands out from the other lossy compression audio file types on this list for at least two reasons. However, it has failed to become as widely compatible as MP3, AAC, or WMA formats. Continuing in the same trend as AAC and WMA, OGG was meant to improve upon the lossy compression algorithms used by MP3 files. The OGG file format was released in 2003. Like AAC, it is accepted as an improvement over the lossy compression algorithms used by MP3s. It was released in 1999 as Microsoft’s response to MP3. Some people say AAC files sound better than MP3 files at the same bit rate – likely a result of its more efficient compression algorithm. Like MP3, it also uses lossy compression. It first appeared in 1997, developed by Bell, Fraunhofer, Dolby, Sony, Nokia, LG Electronics, NEC, NTT Docomo, and Panasonic, to be the successor to MP3. AAC AAC fileĪAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding. MP3 is perhaps the most accessible file format on this list, as it is supported by virtually every audio and media player in existence. Its compact file size allowed for fast distribution on older and slower internet connections. Introduced in 1993, MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, or MP3, quickly became one of the most popular lossy/compressed file formats. Here are the different lossy compressed audio file formats: They are then unfolded (decoded) by a media player when played back. Lossy compression is like taking a paper document, cutting off the “unimportant” parts (loss), and folding it (compression). Going by empirical indicators of audio quality, lossy compressed files have the lowest sample rates, bit depths, and bitrates of the three audio file categories. While their small file size is good for file storage, lossy compressed audio file formats often trim enough information to degrade audio quality. As a result, lossy compressed audio file formats are much smaller than the original uncompressed lossless files used by a mixing engineer. The algorithms used by lossy compressed audio files scan and throw out information they deem imperceptible to a listener. Masking refers to a phenomenon rooted in our perception of audio in which multiple simultaneous sounds composed of similar or identical frequencies veil or eliminate each other’s presence. A psychoacoustic concept baked into lossy compression algorithms is masking detection.
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