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MP3 vs FLAC vs WAV
by TexasBlue Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:37 pm
MP3
The most popular audio format, and the one that largely changed music as we know it, is called MP3. MP3 is a relatively old format and part of the first set of MPEG specifications governing the playback of both audio and video. MP3 actually stands for MPEG1 layer 3, and because of the name some people often confuse it with the audio/video standards MPEG-2 and MPEG-4.
MP3 is a lossy codec, which means when files are encoded to MP3, the encoder chooses which parts of the audio are most important, and discards other less important parts. This process results in audio files that are passable, but less complete than the original file. Depending on the bitrate at which the file is encoded, more information can be kept or thrown out. This "lossy" nature, like all MPEG codecs, makes it an ideal candidate as a delivery format, meaning a format for mass consumption, rather than an archival format. MP3 doesn't have any sort of digital rights management (DRM) built-in, meaning most MP3s can be transferred to any device and be expected to play.
FLAC
Another lossless audio codec is the Free Lossless Audio Codec, commonly referred to as FLAC. FLAC is popular with the audio enthusiast scene, as the files created are smaller than WAV files, though the files still maintain all the audio fidelity of a WAV file. FLAC files can also be paired with "cue sheets" that define individual tracks inside of one larger FLAC file. FLAC files cannot be played back with most portable audio hardware, requiring either modified iPod firmware or custom portable players, but several notable players support it such as several in the Cowon line (including the Cowon A3, and iAUDIO 7) as well as the iriver SPINN, the SanDisk Sansa slotMusic player, and a number of Samsung PMPs including the YP-S2. FLAC's other primary advantage is that it is free, and any device manufacturer can implement FLAC at no charge. If you're looking for components to handle your FLAC collection, an updated list of many of the devices that support FLAC is kept at Sourceforge.
WAV (and AIFF)
Most lossless audio comes from an originating source that has a bit-by-bit file that actually maps all the points on a sound wave. The two main formats of choice for complete recording are WAV (pronounced wave) and AIFF (sometimes pronounced "Aee-ph"). Both file formats are devoid of any sort of compression, making an average pop music song three or four minutes in length a hefty 50MB. While not as large of an issue in modern computing, 50MB file sizes in the mid to late 90s made the transfer of audio files extremely difficult, which is why lossy codecs were born. WAV is typically the Windows standard for audio storage, while AIFF is the Mac standard, though in modern usage both work interchangeably on either operating system. The WAV and AIFF formats are typically seen as "master" or "archive" formats, meaning they aren't typically distributed to the public since the file sizes are large, though the audio quality is much higher than any lossy codec.
The most popular audio format, and the one that largely changed music as we know it, is called MP3. MP3 is a relatively old format and part of the first set of MPEG specifications governing the playback of both audio and video. MP3 actually stands for MPEG1 layer 3, and because of the name some people often confuse it with the audio/video standards MPEG-2 and MPEG-4.
MP3 is a lossy codec, which means when files are encoded to MP3, the encoder chooses which parts of the audio are most important, and discards other less important parts. This process results in audio files that are passable, but less complete than the original file. Depending on the bitrate at which the file is encoded, more information can be kept or thrown out. This "lossy" nature, like all MPEG codecs, makes it an ideal candidate as a delivery format, meaning a format for mass consumption, rather than an archival format. MP3 doesn't have any sort of digital rights management (DRM) built-in, meaning most MP3s can be transferred to any device and be expected to play.
FLAC
Another lossless audio codec is the Free Lossless Audio Codec, commonly referred to as FLAC. FLAC is popular with the audio enthusiast scene, as the files created are smaller than WAV files, though the files still maintain all the audio fidelity of a WAV file. FLAC files can also be paired with "cue sheets" that define individual tracks inside of one larger FLAC file. FLAC files cannot be played back with most portable audio hardware, requiring either modified iPod firmware or custom portable players, but several notable players support it such as several in the Cowon line (including the Cowon A3, and iAUDIO 7) as well as the iriver SPINN, the SanDisk Sansa slotMusic player, and a number of Samsung PMPs including the YP-S2. FLAC's other primary advantage is that it is free, and any device manufacturer can implement FLAC at no charge. If you're looking for components to handle your FLAC collection, an updated list of many of the devices that support FLAC is kept at Sourceforge.
WAV (and AIFF)
Most lossless audio comes from an originating source that has a bit-by-bit file that actually maps all the points on a sound wave. The two main formats of choice for complete recording are WAV (pronounced wave) and AIFF (sometimes pronounced "Aee-ph"). Both file formats are devoid of any sort of compression, making an average pop music song three or four minutes in length a hefty 50MB. While not as large of an issue in modern computing, 50MB file sizes in the mid to late 90s made the transfer of audio files extremely difficult, which is why lossy codecs were born. WAV is typically the Windows standard for audio storage, while AIFF is the Mac standard, though in modern usage both work interchangeably on either operating system. The WAV and AIFF formats are typically seen as "master" or "archive" formats, meaning they aren't typically distributed to the public since the file sizes are large, though the audio quality is much higher than any lossy codec.
TexasBlue
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