Audio formats guide
Understand audio formats and choose the right one
Compare common formats, and see how bitrate affects sound quality and file size.
Three types of audio file
Lossy
Removes audio detail that is hard to hear to make files much smaller. MP3, AAC, Opus and OGG Vorbis work this way.
Lossless
Makes files smaller without losing any audio data, so the original sound can be restored exactly. FLAC works this way.
Uncompressed
Stores the audio without compression. WAV files usually work this way, so quality is preserved but files are very large.
Compare formats
| Format | Type | File size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Lossy | Small | Playing on almost any device |
| AAC / M4A | Lossy | Small | Good quality at low bitrates, Apple devices |
| Opus | Lossy | Very small | Speech, calls and streaming |
| OGG Vorbis | Lossy | Small | Open-source apps and games |
| FLAC | Lossless | Large | Music collections and archiving |
| WAV | Uncompressed | Very large | Audio editing and production |
MP3 bitrates
Bitrate is the amount of audio data used per second. A higher bitrate can sound better, but creates a larger file.
| Bitrate | Size per minute | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 128 kbps | About 1 MB | Podcasts and speech |
| 192 kbps | About 1.4 MB | Everyday listening |
| 256 kbps | About 1.9 MB | Higher-quality music |
| 320 kbps | About 2.4 MB | The highest MP3 quality |
Quick tips
- Choose MP3 if you want a file that plays almost everywhere.
- Keep an original copy if you plan to edit your audio, because saving a lossy file again reduces quality further.
- Converting to a higher bitrate or a lossless format does not restore detail that the source has already lost.
- A format does not change your rights. Use only audio that you own or have permission to use.
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