www.virtualnoise.com
> audio file formats
www.virtualnoise.com
> audio file formats
Jump to: audio encoding/storage techniques | music production software file formats One of the most popular pages on virtualnoise.com used to be the explanation of different audio file formats. Things have changed a lot since back then. (We were posting music in .mp2, TrueSpeech and Internet Wave formats - those were considered 'high tech' in 1995 compared to the old Unix standby .au .) Anyway, here are a few basic links to help you discover the info you need about audio file formats. |
|
| File Format | Features | How it works / FAQ | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| mp3 | lossy compression; patented by Fraunhoffer; designed for music and general purpose audio | www.howstuffworks.com/mp3.htm | This is a great place to start. |
| Ogg Vorbis | lossy compression; open standard, patent-free, designed for streaming; designed for music and general purpose audio | www.vorbis.com/faq.psp Compare mp3 and Vorbis here. |
Try this, from bebits.com |
| RealAudio | lossy compression, designed for streaming | Not a lot of information, since it's a proprietary format, but some info can be found here | Real's page here |
| Windows Media | lossy compression, optimized for streaming | Again, not a lot of real information - here's the hype | Microsoft's page here |
I would like to improve the quality of the above information (Particularly with respect to Real and Windows Media, as I'd like to link to more informational pages instead of marketing pages). Please send email if you have any useful links. Thanks!
I also plan to include the following formats in the future. Email me if you think any other formats should be included here:
In addition to information about actual formats, perhaps a lower-level discussion of the different techniques of encoding/storing audio information (PCM, ADPCM, perceptual coding etc) would be helpful? Please let me know if you think so.
If there is any interest in a discussion about the file formats of various music production programs (Cubase, Reason, Ableton etc), tell me and I will try to initiate something.
April 10, 2003: Thanks for your feedback and interest in this section. It will help me make this page better.