A Summary of Audio Codecs

Before getting into the types of audio codecs, there are three terms you should know. These are lossy audio, lossless audio, and uncompressed audio. Lossy audio is a compression technique that does not decompress audio files to their original data amount. This provides high degrees of digital compression, resulting in smaller files. In these cases, some sound waves are removed, which affects the quality of sound in an audio file. Lossless audio is a compression technique that decompresses audio files back to their original data amount. This provides high degrees of digital compression, without loss in size or sound quality, making it ideal in professional audio settings where complete files are needed. Finally, uncompressed audio is an audio file that has no compression applied to it, meaning the sound remains the same as when it was recorded.

FLAC provides CD-quality audio in smaller-than-CD file sizes. It is also a nonproprietary, open-source codec used by developers who want lossless audio. FLAC files are easily accessible, but can be up to six times as large as MP3 files, making them longer to download.

WAV is an uncompressed audio format providing the original recorded material without a loss of sound quality. These files are ideal for short sound bites, as their uncompressed nature means they are larger files, making them harder to stream.

MP3 is perhaps the most popular audio codec. It utilizes lossy compression, which drastically compresses audio, making MP3 files up to ten times smaller than WAV files. It is a highly diverse compression method and works on nearly all devices. The drawback of MP3 is that, because they are such small files, sound quality is often adversely affected.

This codec is available in both lossy and lossless formats, providing users with a choice. In general, WMA files are smaller than uncompressed files of similar types and function similarly to MPE and FLAC files. Despite offering versatility of lossy and lossless formats, WMA is not compatible with all devices, especially Apple devices.

ALAC sounds identical to original recorded audio, but is compressed to a smaller size. It works primarily with Apple products, making the format a less attractive option for those without iOS devices.

Lastly, AAC is a lossy codec that provides small audio files and is ideal for online streaming. If you need a near-replica of an original recording, AAC files won't be helpful, but to the casual listener they will sound perfectly fine. AAC files are great for mobile devices.

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