Digital Audio Formats: MP3, AAC, WAV & FLAC
Understanding audio bitrates, lossy compression tradeoffs, and studio master preservation.
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Format Comparison & Technical Specifications
| Output Format | MIME Type | Specification | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP3 Audio | audio/mpeg | ISO-IEC-14496-14-MP4 | MPEG-1 Audio Layer III |
| WAV Audio | audio/wav | RFC-5334-OGG | Waveform Audio File Format |
| AAC Audio | audio/aac | ISO-IEC-14496-14-MP4 | Advanced Audio Coding |
| FLAC Audio | audio/flac | RFC-6716-OPUS | Free Lossless Audio Codec |
| OGG Vorbis | audio/ogg | RFC-5334-OGG | Ogg Vorbis Compressed Audio |
| OPUS Audio | audio/opus | RFC-6716-OPUS | Interactive Audio Codec Opus |
| M4A Audio | audio/mp4 | ISO-IEC-14496-14-MP4 | MPEG-4 Audio Layer |
Technical Specifications & Codec Breakdown
Bitrate Sweet Spots: What Can You Actually Hear?
At 128 kbps, MP3 compression artifacts are noticeable on decent headphones. At 256 kbps (AAC) or 320 kbps (MP3), compression becomes transparent - meaning 99% of listeners cannot distinguish it from an uncompressed CD in blind ABX listening tests.
MP3 vs. AAC: Why Modern Streaming Picked AAC
MP3 is a 1993 standard. AAC (developed by the same engineers) is vastly more efficient at preserving high-frequency cymbal crashes and stereo separation at lower bitrates, which is why Apple Music, YouTube, and Bluetooth headphones use AAC.
Never Re-encode Lossy to Lossy
Converting MP3 to AAC (or vice versa) causes 'generational loss'. Like photocopying a photocopy, each lossy conversion throws away more acoustic data and introduces audible distortion. Always convert from a lossless source (FLAC or WAV) to your target lossy format.
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