COMPUTER01L25: Audio File Formats

Опубликовано: 15 Май 2026
на канале: Academ-e

OBJECTIVES
 Define audio.
 Define audio file format.
 List and describe the 5 common audio file formats.

LESSON PREREQUISITE
None

LESSON PROPER
Audio File Formats

Audio is a term used to describe any sound or noise that is within a range the human ear is capable of hearing. Measured in hertz, the audio signal on a computer is generated using a sound card and is heard through speakers or headphones. An audio file format is a file format for storing digital audio data on a computer system. There are 5 common audio file formats.
 AAC
 FLAC
 MP3
 WAV
 WMA

ACC
 AAC is developed by Apple Inc.
 AAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding.
 AAC is the default audio format for iPod and iTunes.
 AAC uses the file extension .acc

FLAC
 FLAC is developed by Xiph.Org Foundation.
 FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec.
 FLAC is an open format with royalty-free licensing and a reference implementation which is free software.
 FLAC uses the file extension .flac

MP3
 MP3 is created by Karlheinz Brandenburg.
 MP3 files are actually the sound part of MPEG files.
 MP3 is the most popular format for music players.
 MP3 uses the file extension .mp3

WAV
 WAV is developed by IBM and Microsoft.
 WAV is also known as Waveform Audio File Format.
 WAV is the default audio format for Windows.
 WAV uses the file extension .wav

WMA
 WMA is developed by Microsoft.
 WMA stands for Windows Media Audio.
 WMA is a proprietary technology that forms part of the Windows Media framework.
 WMA uses the file extension .wma