Format Atlas

Guides

Choose an audio distribution format

For delivery, check the listener's playback environment as well as file size and whether the source must remain available.

Which format should you choose?

Choose by the role each file plays in your workflow.

  • Broad playback support → MP3
  • Supported streaming or video workflow → AAC
  • Lossless delivery when needed → FLAC

Separate delivery copies from preservation masters

Keep the editing or preservation source separate even when creating lossy MP3 or AAC copies. Test the finished file in the destination player or service.

Formats to consider

MP3

Good for: Delivery where broad playback support matters

Less suitable for: Preserving an editing master

AAC

Good for: AAC-capable streaming and video workflows

Less suitable for: Transfer without confirming the container and profile

OGG

Good for: Environments explicitly supporting Ogg

Less suitable for: Assuming compatibility from the extension alone

FLAC

Good for: Lossless audio delivery or archiving

Less suitable for: Delivery under a strict size limit

Before you export

  • Repeated lossy transcoding can add quality loss.
  • Ogg is a container; check its internal codec too.

Related comparisons

AAC vs MP3AAC and MP3 are lossy audio codecs. Choose by distribution, player, container, and compatibility rather than universal quality claims.Ogg vs MP3Ogg is a container that can carry codecs such as Vorbis or Opus; MP3 is a lossy audio format. The Ogg extension alone does not identify its codec, so check the actual stream and target-player support.MP3 vs FLACMP3 uses lossy audio compression to reduce file size; FLAC compresses audio losslessly and can restore the original PCM samples. Choose according to delivery size, playback support, and whether an editing or archival master must be preserved.

Guides

Choose a video distribution formatChoose the container and the codecs inside it according to the playback destination and production workflow.

References and specifications