What Audio Format Is The Best For Sound Quality

The audio format plays a crucial role in the quality of your sounds, making it an important factor to consider in your production.

Have you ever noticed while saving an audio track on your devices you are presented with a number of different audio file formats? Most people, especially those who are new to this industry typically lean towards MP3, WAV, or other popular audio formats without much of thought. However, it is important that you understand how these different audio formats work and their impact on the quality of your audio files.

There is no single audio format that works for everyone. Each of them has its benefits and share of drawbacks, making them fit for specific applications. You will need to analyze each of them carefully before selecting one for your audio files, and it is exactly what we will help you with in this article.

Uncompressed vs. lossy vs. Lossless Audio File Formats

All the known audio formats can be broken down into three categories including Lossy, Lossless, and Uncompressed. Let’s look into each of them:

1. Lossy Audio Formats

The lossy format is perhaps the most popular among creators who upload their content on the internet. It takes very little storage space as it shrinks the original file about ten times with the lossy compression. Furthermore, it is also compatible with most consumer devices, allowing creators to reach out to a wider audience.

That said, the benefits of the lossy file format come at the cost of sound quality. There is a significant loss of quality as the lossy file formats compromise the frequency response, dynamic range, and other subtleties in the audio. Furthermore, the loss of quality is irreversible so once a file has been saved, there is not much an audio engineer can work with.

Within lossy formats, there are several types that vary from one another based on the processing technique and the degree of loss during compression. These include the following:

a. MP3.

MP3 is the most popular lossy audio format and for the right reasons. It strikes a balance between the file size and audio quality. The format ensures a smaller size by cutting off the frequencies that are either inaudible or slightly audible, thereby maintaining an excellent workable audio track. 

Furthermore, the smaller size also makes it easier to transfer files between different devices and its compatibility with a wide array of devices serves as icing on the cake.

b. OGG

OGG is a little advanced version of MP3, developed by Xiph.Org Foundation. It was developed as an alternative to MP3 once the developer started charging licensing fees for the format. OGG licensing is free and the sound quality is also slightly better, albeit it does make some compromises, than MP3. It’s also used by popular streaming platforms such as Spotify.

c. ACC

ACC is another audio format that was developed to counter the popularity of MP3 back in 1997, but it never succeeded in doing so. Nonetheless, it is a good format for users who are not creators who want to preserve the quality of their content and can also spare a bit more space in the storage. While it may be as popular in the general audience, it is widely adopted by streaming and gaming platforms such as iTunes, Apple Music, Android, and Sony PlayStation.

2. Lossless Formats

Lossless audio formats, as implied in the name, compress the audio without compromising the quality of audio. It preserves the audio quality by keeping elements like frequency response and dynamic range intact, thereby making it easier for audio engineers to work with the track. 

The downside to such formats is the size of files which can be as large as five times compared to the lossy formats. So, if this format sounds exciting and you have the required storage, here are the two free lossless audio codecs you can pick from.

a. FLAC

Free Lossless Audio Codec or FLAC is the most efficient lossless audio format as it retains up to 60% of the original data. FLAC files have become quite popular in the recent decade and stand out as a strong competitor to the MP3 format. Furthermore, it supports all the major devices making it a perfect choice for the audience who want to listen to the music at maximum quality. 

b. ALAC

Apple Lossless Audio Codec or ALAC is an audio codec developed by Apple which was developed to compete with FLAC but it is not as efficient. Unfortunately, Apple users do not have much of a choice when choosing the lossless format, because both iOS and MacOS offer only ALAC to their users. 

3. Uncompressed Formats

Uncompressed audio formats, as the name indicates, do not process the audio files and preserve the as authentic form as possible. The uncompressed audio files contain the data formed by the analog to digital-conversion of the sound signal. Typically, such formats are used in high-end studios where each frequency is carefully analyzed and manipulated to produce the best possible sounding audio.

That said, the uncompressed files take up a lot of storage and there is not much use for them for the general audience as it is not supported by most devices without additional support. For those who work in studios with the original sounds, these are the uncompressed audio formats you can pick from:

a. AIFF

AIFF or Audio Interchange File Format was developed by Apple which closely resembles WAV Files in retaining the original sound and therefore takes more. Some PCs and MACs support these files, but they are not too useful for editing because of the lack of time codes. 

You can store multiple types of audio formats in AIFF and these files are best suited for MAC devices. 

b. WAV

WAV or Waveform Audio File is the most popular uncompressed audio file format among audio engineers, mainly because of its ability to retain all of the original data. Like the AIFF, it can also store multiple formats, including compressed formats but typically it is not used for that. While it works in the MAC as well, it is better suited to Windows users for visual projects, hence it is also known as Windows Media Audio.

c.PCM

PCM is the OG of uncompressed audio formats as it was the go-to format for CDs and DVDs. Pulse Code Modulation or PCM offers raw recording of the original audio in the digital form and the results are an almost exact representation of analog sounds. That said, the process of recording a file in PCM format is time-consuming as the sound must be recorded at specific intervals given the waveform nature of analog sounds.

Which Is The Best Audio File Format For You?

There is no right answer to this question unless we are talking about the specific applications. Here’s a breakdown of different formats and their use applications.

Audio Format	Applications
PCM (Pulse Code Modulation)	Telecommunications
WAV (Waveform Audio File)	High-quality sound recordings
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding)	Streaming platforms
ALAC	Audio Archiving
M4A	Podcasts
FLAC	High-resolution, royalty-free, uncompressed audio.
MP3	Small Size, Decent Quality
OGG	Streaming services
MP4	Used For media that involves graphics and videos
DSD (Direct Digital Stream)	Super Audio CDs

Now let’s take a look at the best audio format for different applications individually.

1. Which Is The Best Audio Format For Podcast?

Podcasts tend to be of longer duration which is a significant factor when selecting an audio format. MP3 format is typically the preferred choice because it reduces the file size and delivers a decent enough audio quality. You will not lose any of the audible parts of the podcast in the MP3 format.

2. Which Is The Best Audio Format For Vocalists?

The data from the vocals is hardly used alone and it is often mixed with other sound sources to produce a final audio. Furthermore, it is also important to preserve the subtleties in a vocalist’s voice to produce an excellent content piece which can only be achieved by uncompressed formats such as WAV or PCM. 

It must be mentioned that the audio track should not be too long, otherwise it will take up too much space in your hard drive.

3. Which Is The Best Audio Format For Musical Instruments?

Like the vocals, the subtlety of musical instruments must also be recorded and preserved to get the best results which is offered by WAV. It retains all the analog data of recording, making it easier for sound engineers to mix and manipulate it according to vocals.

4. Which Is The Best Audio Format For Music?

The choice of the best format for music depends on the streaming device. MP3 makes the best option if you want to create a piece for the general audience as it is supported by almost all devices. However, if the target audience is a music company that wants to play it in large arenas and concert halls, FLAC or WAV will be better choices to retain the best quality.

Which Is The Best Audio Format For YouTube?

The best option for YouTube regardless of the type of content is MP3. It is easier for users to stream because of its smaller size and also offers good enough audio quality.

5. Which Is The Best Audio Format For Spotify?

Spotify accepts almost all audio formats but it recommends FLAC to content creators. FLAC retains 60% of the original data, offering the users a near-to-authentic listening experience. Furthermore, it does not take up as much space as the uncompressed files and is playable by all major streaming devices.

Frequently Asked Questions