We’ve come a long way since we transported boxes of cassette tapes for our vehicles. While there’s a part of us that never wants to put down that mix tape, or that collection of Van Halen or Madonna, you can’t ignore the fact that we’ve gone digital. Analog still has its place, even if it’s just to relive the good old days, but most of the audio and music we deal with now is in digital form.
However, not all digital audio is the same; Not only can it be found in variable compression formats, but because we deal with so many different types of technology and how data is read, there are numerous digital audio formats.
Those digital audio formats, also called codecs (MP3, WMA, AAC, AIFF, etc.) are grouped into two different categories; Without loss and with loss. Regardless of where it is grouped, however, a codec is called that because of its general function. Codec= compression + decompression of music in digital audio files.
Work with lossless codecs
With lossless codecs, every bit of music data and information that makes up the overall audio file is retained and preserved after compression. That data is then stored for retrieval. Compared to other audio, lossless codecs offer the highest audio fidelity with the clearest digital sound.
The unfortunate downside is that the files they create can become expansive and quite large. Depending on the size of your music server or drive, you may be limited in the number of songs you can store. However, as technology continues to advance, this is becoming less of an issue. Terabyte external drives and small portable drives and players that exceed 500 gigabytes will have little problem with storage capacity.
The most common lossless codecs:
Windows Media Lossless: This codec is integrated into the latest versions of Microsoft’s Windows Media Player software and is widely compatible with other media adapter systems.
Apple Lossless: Of course, Microsoft has its competitor in Apple. This codec is included in the iTunes software and Apple Lossless Encoder is your answer to Windows Media Lossless.
Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC): Where there is something commercial, you can often find something free. As the name suggests, FLAC is a free codec in the digital market. It’s widely supported, and some of the audio players that support the free codec include the Sonos digital music system and slimline devices (of course, there are plenty of others).
Working with lossy codecs:
When it comes to data compression, you can expect some data loss. Lossy codecs intentionally discard some of the music information to reduce the size of the audio file. This is done for a variety of reasons, including reducing the overall size to allow more digital files to be stored. Similarly, size reduction makes it easier to move files across the web. To the human ear, listening to music on a run-of-the-mill audio system won’t reveal much of a difference. If you play the sound through a quality sound or home theater system, you may begin to pick up the subtle difference in quality and tone.
The most common lossy codecs:
MP3: Also known as MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (Motion Picture Experts Group). As the concept of digital music grew, it was mp3 that became the preferred format due to the high compression ratio. Due to its wide acceptance, it is the most common digital music codec on PCs and digital music systems. Most equipment, including compact disc players and digital file recorders/players, are designed to read this codec. The proof is in the fact that most people refer to portable music devices as “MP3 players.”
WMA – Windows Media Audio is the standard audio format used in the Windows operating system and Windows Media Player, as well as on compatible hardware. Although it is possible to use a lossless version of WMA, most files use and rely on lossy compression systems.
AAC: While most audio formats can be read on different systems, including Macs, the Apple Computers iTunes Store uses the Advanced Audio Codec (AAC) as the default codec for music encoded with the iTunes application. Like Windows Media Audio, AAC files fall under the Lossy category. However, you can access a lossless codec within the iTunes system known as Apple Lossless.
Other common formats
WAV files were a common format among PC users in the 1990s and are still a widely used format. The quality of a .wav file is equivalent to that of a compact disc and is used by many audio professionals when recording and editing music. The downside is that .wav files are lossless and as such the files are very large in size. A .wav file takes up approximately 10 megabytes for every minute of audio, making it a poor choice when storing many songs on a small-capacity audio player.
Like the .wav files popular with PC users, the .aiff format is a popular lossless format for Apple users. The format was developed by Apple in 1988 in conjunction with Electronic Arts and was widely used on Amiga systems and Mac computers. Like .wav files, the .aiff standard is used professionally with audio and video applications, and when Like .wav files, it is not compressed, resulting in large file sizes.
choose a codec
Which codec you ultimately choose depends on a few factors, including where you get your music, the device you play your music on, and of course your personal preference. Although most stores sell WMA and AAC formats because of the ability to digitally protect the files with DRM (digital rights management) encoding. Most stores today have switched to the more generic MP3 audio file. MP3 files are not protected, but are generally lower quality files.
If you have a high-quality sound system with lots of storage, you’ll probably enjoy the fidelity that lossless codecs offer. If you’re streaming music through your stereo from a computer, you’ll need to be aware of the software you use, as many have a limited number of codecs supported.