audiofiles

Audiofiles are digital representations of sound data stored on a storage medium. They consist of sequences of samples encoded with a codec and often organized within a file format that describes how the data is stored, compressed, and annotated. Common file types include lossless formats such as WAV and FLAC, which aim to preserve the original sound, and lossy formats such as MP3, AAC, Vorbis (OGG), and WMA, which reduce data to save space at the cost of some fidelity. File formats may use containers and codecs; for example, MP3 is a codec frequently used inside an MP3 file, while WAV typically uses uncompressed PCM data.

Audiofiles employ various sampling rates (for example 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz) and bit depths (16-bit, 24-bit). Higher sample rates and bit depths allow more accurate representation of the original sound but increase file size. Stereo and multichannel configurations are common in music and broadcast files.

Metadata embedded in audiofiles includes information such as title, artist, album, track number, and artwork. ID3 tags are widely used in MP3 files, while Vorbis comments are used in Ogg files and similar tagging schemes exist for other formats. This metadata supports library organization and playback applications. Legal and practical considerations include licensing for certain codecs and variable bit-rate encoding, which can affect compatibility and playback quality.

Audiofiles are used in music libraries, streaming services, podcasts, and audiobooks. They can be distributed as downloads or accessed via streaming platforms, with different performance and licensing requirements affecting encoding choices and player support.