An audio file format is a file format for storing digital audio data on a computer system. This data can be stored uncompressed, or compressed to reduce the file size. It can be a raw bitstream, but it is usually a container format or an audio data format with defined storage layer.
There are three major groups of audio file formats:
Uncompressed audio formats: WAV, AIFF, AU or raw header-less PCM;
Formats with lossless compression: Windows Media Audio Lossless (WMA Lossless), FLAC, APE, WV, TTA, ATRAC Advanced Lossless, m4a and Shorten.
Formats with lossy compression: Windows Media Audio Lossy (WMA lossy), MP3, AAC, Vorbis OGG, Musepack and ATRAC.
The following is a comparison of audio formats that our software supports. Click on a audio format to see the format introduction and related software downloads.
Audio Formats:
| Format | Filename extension | Creator | Music reproduction | Lossless audio compression | Patented | DRM |
| MP3 | .mp3 | ISO/IEC MPEG Audio Committee | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| OGG | .ogg | Xiph.Org Foundation | Yes | |||
| WMA | .wma | Microsoft | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AAC | .aac | ISO/IEC MPEG Audio Committee | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| WAV | .wav, .wave | Microsoft | Yes |
Related Downloads:
Free Audio Converter is a free software to convert audio formats MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA from one to another, such as converting MP3 to WAV and WMA, WAV to MP3 and WMA.
Screenshot:
