Compare audio formats — understand quality, compression, and compatibility
Lossy formats (MP3, AAC, OGG) permanently remove inaudible data for smaller files. Lossless formats (FLAC, WAV, ALAC) preserve all original audio data.
Higher bitrate = better quality but larger files. 320kbps MP3 is nearly indistinguishable from CD quality for most listeners.
MP3 at 128kbps mono is standard for podcasts. AAC at 96kbps provides comparable quality with smaller file size.
Always work in WAV or FLAC during production. Convert to MP3/AAC only for final distribution to preserve maximum quality.
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) preserves 100% of the original audio quality while reducing file size by about 50-60%. WAV is uncompressed and also lossless but creates much larger files. For lossy formats, AAC at 256kbps or Opus at 128kbps offer excellent quality.
AAC generally provides better sound quality than MP3 at the same bitrate, especially below 192kbps. AAC is the default format for Apple Music, YouTube, and most streaming services. MP3 has broader legacy device support.
320kbps for highest quality (audiophile), 256kbps for excellent quality (recommended), 192kbps for good quality (balanced), and 128kbps for acceptable quality (podcasts/speech). Most people cannot distinguish quality above 256kbps in blind tests.