Most music files are some kind of compressed lossy format. These files are useful for downloading and streaming because they are relatively small. They have the vast majority of the original data, but not all of it, which is where the lossy name comes from. Compressed lossless files include FLAC, ALAC, APE, and VOC.Ĭompressed lossy files eliminate some digital information that is not entirely necessary to deliver sound. These files are often used in sound mixing and engineering.

Compressed lossless files eliminate some redundant information within the file structure, making the file smaller but still ensuring it retains all of the information. To make audio files smaller to save space for archival, distribution, or playback purposes, you should compress them. Uncompressed audio files include WAV, AIFF, DSD, RAW, and PCM. These formats are good for archival and editing purposes, but their large file size makes them impractical for other uses. These files are very large and contain all of the information picked up by studio equipment. Uncompressed audio formats are generally the audio tracks you get when recording. Each type is useful in different circumstances. There are three major types of audio files.

The audio files used by music streaming services like Spotify are a different format, as well. The audio files a producer or engineer works with aren’t the same as the files you download to your hard drive. It’s a necessary part of making sure audio is playable and useful in different contexts because different audio file formats have different uses. The process of changing one type of audio file to another is known as audio conversion. Which type of audio file do you need to convert?

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