Digital music has reshaped the habits of modern listeners for good.
This ubiquitous trend is constantly evolving and opening up new possibilities. It brought the three-dimensional glory to a wide array of devices. In the process, it disrupted the entertainment industry too.
But, one question still bewilders people. How does a bunch of zeroes and ones become the harmonic symphony that lifts our soul?
Well, we can thank the technology behind a music file and we can learn how do music files work, which can take different forms. MP3 format is synonymous with digital music, but there are many other options to notice. They all have their unique benefits and drawbacks.
How Do Music Files Work?
In the following sections, we’ll break things down and explain everything in an easy-to-understand way.
Digital vs. Analog
Digital music differs from analog media quite a bit.
The latter revolves around physical items, such as magnetic cassette tapes and vinyl records. On the other hand, digital music is dependent on virtual platforms and informatics technology systems.
That being said, we do have physical digital media. The most well-known example is a compact disc (CD).
When inserted in a computer, it is subject to reading by the laser beam. The information on a CD gets decoded as binary data (1 or 0).
Computers are capable of crunching this data without skipping a beat.
Purely digital audio files, however, aren’t rooted in one physical storage solution. They are the product of converting an analog signal to digital data with the help of encoding formats. You can download or stream these files on any compatible device.
And you don’t have to worry about scratching and damaging your media, which would cause annoying noise. The recording is pristine and can stay that way forever.
Music File in a Nutshell
Music files harness a few pieces of hardware to produce sound.
We’re, of course, talking about sound cards and speakers. Apart from that, they require software tools, such as MP3 players. On this software front, the main differences between formats become apparent.
At its very basic, the audio file format is a solution for storing digital data on various devices.
It can be in two states (bit layouts): compressed and uncompressed. Most music files of today are compressed, as this method reduces file size. Perhaps the best known uncompressed format type is WAV.
The data itself can be in audio coding (raw) format, but usually, it comes packaged in a container format.
We also have to distinguish these two terms from an audio codec. Namely, codec conducts encoding and decoding of raw data and stores it in container files.
There’s a reason why we emphasize these technicalities. Music formats have a profound impact on how people collect, share, and enjoy music. Let’s now examine how exactly.
MP3: The Inception Moment
The digital music boom started with the MP3 movement.
The interesting thing is it didn’t originate in the music industry itself, but the internet community. Basically, MP3 represents a compression system for music files. Its purpose is to allow CDs and other storage solutions to hold more songs as digital information.
To be more precise, compression reduces file size by 10 to 14 times. As such, it also enables us to download music much faster than before.
The beauty of it is the process has a minimum adverse effect on sound quality. Its algorithm relies on in-depth knowledge of how human ear works and technique called perceptual noise shaping.
The end result is a near-CD quality track that trims off some audio information, most of which our ear can’t hear. That is precisely why the MP3 format is classified as a lossy compression type.
Format Innovations
The next stage in evolution began when lossless compression formats emerged.
The main novelty here is that we can avoid the sacrifice of information. That’s why lossless files are bulkier than standard MP3 counterparts.
For instance, FLAC audio format employs sophisticated compression that shrinks file sizes. At the same time, it doesn’t compromise any information or sound quality. It even allows us to retrieve uncompressed data from a compressed file version.
These traits make FLAC immensely popular in the realm of online music sharing and download.
Across other lossless formats, the bit rate ranges from 96 to 320 kilobits per second. The lower the bit rate is, the more information is surrendered to the digital void.
Manipulation of the bit rate is done during encoding and compression.
The Show Must Go On
In recent years, new formats have emerged.
M4A (MPEG-4 audio file) is one of the most prominent solutions associated with higher sound quality. It’s a lossy, advanced compression popularized by services in the league of Apple iTunes.
Moving on, we have to bring up MP4. Despite what the name may suggest, isn’t some improved version of MP3. It’s both audio and video file format, a comprehensive media extension.
It requires different codecs for proper reading.
Finally, MKV files differ from the rest because they don’t fall in the category of compression formats. They are instead multimedia container formats that are open-source in nature.
There is some similarity to MP4 though. MKV files can contain audio, video, and text in one. There are also some excellent players around, most notably the VLC media player.
File Conversion
Regardless of the format you prefer, you shouldn’t have trouble finding compatible programs and devices.
Let’s also not forget one amazing possibility modern technology has unlocked— file conversion. We’re no longer stuck with the format the file creator originally used.
This is an opportunity to keep up with ever-evolving standards in the digital world and meet your specific needs.
You can, for instance, easily convert MKV files to MP4 format on your Mac device. The process is rather straightforward. If you want to know how to do it, check out this link: https://setapp.com/how-to/convert-mkv-to-mp4.
There’s no shortage of other (free and paid) music file converters, so do your homework and take your pick. It’s a truly great time to be a digital music lover.
File Closed
It’s quite fascinating how strings of numbers transform into groovy tunes, the magic in our ears.
We’ve shown you how this marvel came to be and how things have changed over time. And rest assured that understanding the differences in music file types isn’t just for advanced tech aficionados.
Armed with the knowledge, you can maximize your experience as a causal listener too. What is more, it’s possible to share, mix, and do other amazing things with your files.
Browse our tech sections to gather more useful tips and advice. More power to you!