Audio File Formats and Codecs
Lossy Formats
MP3 (.mp3)
MP3 is a lossy compressed audio format designed to shrink file sizes while retaining acceptable sound quality. It’s one of the most popular formats for streaming and distribution, widely compatible with nearly every media player and device. However, at lower bitrates, the quality can degrade noticeably, especially with complex music or high-frequency content.
AAC (.m4a)
AAC is a lossy codec often used in video platforms, streaming services, and Apple devices. It offers better quality than MP3 at similar bitrates, making it a popular alternative. However, it is not as widely supported in some professional editing environments compared to WAV or AIFF.
OGG (.ogg)
OGG is an open-source lossy format commonly paired with the Vorbis codec. It’s used in gaming, open-source projects, and some streaming platforms. While it provides good quality-to-size ratios, it lacks universal support in commercial software and hardware players.
Opus (.opus)
Opus is a versatile codec optimised for low-latency, real-time communication, making it ideal for platforms like Zoom, Discord, and web apps. It adjusts dynamically between speech and music and supports very low bitrates while retaining intelligibility.
Lossless Formats
WAV (.wav)
WAV files are uncompressed, offering high-fidelity audio that retains all original data. They are the standard in most professional environments for recording, editing, and mixing due to their compatibility and bit depth/sample rate flexibility. WAV files are large in size, making them unsuitable for final distribution in bandwidth-limited contexts.
AIFF (.aiff)
AIFF is Apple’s uncompressed audio format, functionally similar to WAV. It is favoured in Mac-based workflows and offers the same audio quality and editing headroom. AIFF files support metadata more robustly than WAV, though their large size also makes them unsuitable for casual distribution.
FLAC (.flac)
FLAC is a lossless compression format, meaning it reduces file size without discarding any audio information. It is ideal for archiving and music libraries where storage efficiency is important without sacrificing audio fidelity. While not always supported in all DAWs, it’s a common format for high-resolution streaming and downloads.
ALAC (.m4a)
Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) is Apple’s answer to FLAC. It preserves full audio quality with reduced file sizes and is natively supported across Apple platforms like iTunes and iOS. Like FLAC, it’s ideal for high-quality music storage but has limited support outside Apple’s ecosystem.
Broadcast & Professional Formats
BWF (.wav with metadata)
Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) extends the WAV format with metadata like timecode, essential for film, television, and broadcast workflows. It’s the standard for location sound, ADR, and mix stems in post-production, ensuring sync accuracy and traceability throughout the pipeline.
Dolby E (.dolbye)
Dolby E is a professional audio codec used to transport multichannel audio over stereo infrastructures, such as broadcast systems. It allows up to 8 channels of audio to be embedded within a stereo signal for seamless transmission. It requires special encoding/decoding tools and is not designed for consumer use.
MP4 Audio Container (.mp4)
The MP4 container can hold multiple audio formats, including AAC and ALAC. Though often used for video, MP4 also serves as an audio-only wrapper. It’s not commonly used in professional audio production but can be helpful for multimedia distribution.
Immersive & Next-Gen Audio
ADM BWF (.wav with metadata)
ADM BWF (Audio Definition Model in Broadcast Wave) is used in immersive audio workflows like Dolby Atmos and MPEG-H. It stores multichannel or object-based audio along with positional metadata. It’s essential for audio post-production and content destined for streaming, broadcast, or cinema.
MPEG-H Audio
MPEG-H is a next-generation audio codec standard supporting immersive, object-based audio. Used in broadcasting, VR, and AR applications, it allows users to adjust dialogue levels or switch between languages interactively. It’s part of ATSC 3.0 and DVB standards.