| Welcome to Audio File Formats 101! If | | | | version of a JPEG file. |
| you've used a computer to listen to | | | | 3. WMA - WMA stand for Windows Media |
| music you probably have had some | | | | Audio, and is a proprietary audio file |
| experience dealing with MP3 and WAV | | | | format developed by Microsoft, and was |
| files before. And if you have spent a | | | | introduced as a competitor to the MP3 |
| bit of time on the computer recording or | | | | files format. Although it hasn't |
| editing audio, you've probably dealt | | | | overtaken the popularity of the MP3 |
| with many of the other audio file | | | | format, it is in second place in terms |
| formats. Such as AIFF, WMA, OGG, etc. | | | | of the number of consumer products that |
| What's the deal with all these different | | | | support the playback of the WMA file. |
| forms of digital audio? | | | | One thing that the WMA file format |
| 1. WAV - Although WAV files can be | | | | offers exclusively is the ability for |
| compressed, most WAV files are usually | | | | the files to be DRM (Digital Rights |
| consist of uncompressed audio, also know | | | | Management) encoded, which is popular |
| as lossless audio files. They are a | | | | with both music and film corporations. |
| variant on the RIFF bitstream format | | | | 4. OGG Vorbis - The OGG Vorbis file |
| method for storing data in chunks. Since | | | | format is an audio codec that is both |
| these files are usually uncompressed and | | | | open source and free, which was |
| of high quality, most professional audio | | | | developed in 1998 after word of plans to |
| experts use the WAV file, which is the | | | | start charging licensing fees on MP3 |
| universally accepted source audio file | | | | files were spread. So, essentially the |
| format recognized in all audio editing | | | | OGG Vorbis file format is very similar |
| software. | | | | to the MP3 file format, which are both |
| 2. MP3 - MP3s are encoded digital | | | | lossy file formats. The OGG Vorbis file |
| audio files that use a lossy compression | | | | format is widely used in video games, |
| format. Lossy compression is a method | | | | saving time and money for the |
| that when the file is decompressed, the | | | | developers, since it is not patented. |
| data retrieved may be different from | | | | All of us listen to MP3s, and probably |
| the original but is close enough to be | | | | have encountered the 3 other formats |
| usable. With an MP3 the parts of the | | | | discussed at one time or another. This |
| audio that are discarded in the | | | | is definitely not an exhaustive list of |
| compression are considered less | | | | all audio file formats, and only covers |
| important to human hearing, (i.e. any | | | | some of the more popular formats. But |
| sounds below 20HZ, and any sounds above | | | | this should give you a little more |
| 20KHz). MP3 files are great for the | | | | insight on some of the file formats that |
| internet because of their small size. | | | | you use on a daily basis. |
| You can think of an MP3 as an audio | | | | |