Lydformater

Lydformater, a term used in Norwegian and other Scandinavian languages, refers to audio formats—the digital representations of audio data used to store, transmit, and render sound. They distinguish between codecs, which are the compression or encoding algorithms (for example MP3, AAC, Opus), and container formats, which package the encoded audio stream with metadata and sometimes multiple streams (for example WAV, AIFF, MP4, Ogg).

Formats can be lossless (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF) or lossy (MP3, AAC, Opus). Lossless formats preserve the original signal, while lossy formats remove some information to reduce file size or bandwidth requirements. The choice affects quality, compatibility, and storage or streaming costs.

Common technical properties include sample rate (commonly 44.1 or 48 kHz; higher rates are used for professional audio), bit depth (16 or 24 bits), and channels (mono, stereo, surround). These parameters influence fidelity and data size and can be constrained by devices or services.

Usage spans music distribution, broadcasting, podcasts, games, and streaming services. Selection depends on desired quality, compression, latency, and compatibility with playback equipment and software.

Metadata support is an important aspect; examples include ID3 tags in MP3, Vorbis comments in Ogg, and metadata within MP4, WAV, or AIFF wrappers, enabling information about artists, albums, and track details.

Standardization and licensing vary by codec and region. MPEG standards cover many widely used formats (MP3, AAC), while some codecs (like Opus) have favorable licensing terms for streaming. See also Codec, Container format, Audio encoding, Streaming media.