Here's a list of commonly used audio file formats:
.3gp
Multimedia container format can contain proprietary formats as AMR, AMR-WB or AMR-WB+, but also some open formats
Multimedia container format can contain proprietary formats as AMR, AMR-WB or AMR-WB+, but also some open formats
.aa
Audible (Amazon) A low-bitrate audiobook container format with DRM, containing audio encoded as either MP3 or the ACELP speech codec.
Audible (Amazon) A low-bitrate audiobook container format with DRM, containing audio encoded as either MP3 or the ACELP speech codec.
.aac
The Advanced Audio Coding format is based on the MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 standards. AAC files are usually ADTS or ADIF containers.
The Advanced Audio Coding format is based on the MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 standards. AAC files are usually ADTS or ADIF containers.
.aiff
A standard uncompressed CD-quality, audio file format used by Apple. Established 3 years prior to Microsoft's uncompressed version wav.
A standard uncompressed CD-quality, audio file format used by Apple. Established 3 years prior to Microsoft's uncompressed version wav.
.amr
AMR-NB audio, used primarily for speech.
AMR-NB audio, used primarily for speech.
.au
The standard audio file format used by Sun, Unix and Java. The audio in au files can be PCM or compressed with the μ-law, a-law or G.729 codecs.
The standard audio file format used by Sun, Unix and Java. The audio in au files can be PCM or compressed with the μ-law, a-law or G.729 codecs.
.cda
Format for cda files for Radio.
Format for cda files for Radio.
.dss
DSS files are an Olympus proprietary format. DSS files use a high compression rate, which reduces the file size and allows files to be copied and transferred quickly. It allows additional data to be held in the file header.
.dvf
A Sony proprietary format for compressed voice files; commonly used by Sony dictation recorders.
A Sony proprietary format for compressed voice files; commonly used by Sony dictation recorders.
.flac
A file format for the Free Lossless Audio Codec, an open-source lossless compression codec.
A file format for the Free Lossless Audio Codec, an open-source lossless compression codec.
.gsm
Designed for telephony use in Europe, GSM is used to store telephone voice messages and conversations. With a bitrate of 13 kbit/s, GSM files can compress and encode audio at telephone quality.
.m4a
An AAC or ALAC encoded audio file in an MPEG-4 container. In Apple's iTunes Music Store, M4A is used to represent a downloaded music file that is unprotected.
Designed for telephony use in Europe, GSM is used to store telephone voice messages and conversations. With a bitrate of 13 kbit/s, GSM files can compress and encode audio at telephone quality.
.m4a
An AAC or ALAC encoded audio file in an MPEG-4 container. In Apple's iTunes Music Store, M4A is used to represent a downloaded music file that is unprotected.
.m4b
An Audiobook / podcast extension with AAC or ALAC encoded audio in an MPEG-4 container. Both M4A and M4B formats can contain metadata including chapter markers, images, and hyperlinks, but M4B allows "bookmarks" (remembering the last listening spot), whereas M4A does not.
An Audiobook / podcast extension with AAC or ALAC encoded audio in an MPEG-4 container. Both M4A and M4B formats can contain metadata including chapter markers, images, and hyperlinks, but M4B allows "bookmarks" (remembering the last listening spot), whereas M4A does not.
.m4p
A version of AAC with proprietary DRM developed by Apple for use in music downloaded from their iTunes Music Store and their music streaming service known as Apple Music.
A version of AAC with proprietary DRM developed by Apple for use in music downloaded from their iTunes Music Store and their music streaming service known as Apple Music.
.mmf
An audio format that is used in Samsung's ringtones. Developed by Yamaha (SMAF stands for "Synthetic music Mobile Application Format", and is a multimedia data format invented by the Yamaha Corporation).
An audio format that is used in Samsung's ringtones. Developed by Yamaha (SMAF stands for "Synthetic music Mobile Application Format", and is a multimedia data format invented by the Yamaha Corporation).
.movpkg
An Apple audio format primarily used for Lossless and Hi-Res audio files through Apple Music. Also used for storing Apple TV videos.
An Apple audio format primarily used for Lossless and Hi-Res audio files through Apple Music. Also used for storing Apple TV videos.
.mp1
MPEG-1 Layer I Audio
MPEG-1 Layer I Audio
.mp2
MPEG-1/MPEG-2 Layer II Audio
MPEG-1/MPEG-2 Layer II Audio
.mp3
MPEG-1/MPEG-2 Layer III Audio
MPEG-1/MPEG-2 Layer III Audio
.msv
A Sony proprietary format for Memory Stick compressed voice files.
A Sony proprietary format for Memory Stick compressed voice files.
.ogg, .oga, .mogg
A free, open source container format supporting a variety of formats, the most popular of which is the audio format Vorbis. Vorbis offers compression similar to MP3 but is less popular. Mogg, the "Multi-Track-Single-Logical-Stream Ogg-Vorbis", is the multi-channel or multi-track Ogg file format.
A free, open source container format supporting a variety of formats, the most popular of which is the audio format Vorbis. Vorbis offers compression similar to MP3 but is less popular. Mogg, the "Multi-Track-Single-Logical-Stream Ogg-Vorbis", is the multi-channel or multi-track Ogg file format.
.opus
A lossy audio compression format developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and made especially suitable for interactive real-time applications over the Internet. As an open format standardised through RFC 6716, a reference implementation is provided under the 3-clause BSD license.
A lossy audio compression format developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and made especially suitable for interactive real-time applications over the Internet. As an open format standardised through RFC 6716, a reference implementation is provided under the 3-clause BSD license.
.ra, .rm
A RealAudio format designed for streaming audio over the Internet. The .ra format allows files to be stored in a self-contained fashion on a computer, with all of the audio data contained inside the file itself.
A RealAudio format designed for streaming audio over the Internet. The .ra format allows files to be stored in a self-contained fashion on a computer, with all of the audio data contained inside the file itself.
.raw
A raw file can contain audio in any format but is usually used with PCM audio data. It is rarely used except for technical tests.
A raw file can contain audio in any format but is usually used with PCM audio data. It is rarely used except for technical tests.
.tta
The True Audio, real-time lossless audio codec.
The True Audio, real-time lossless audio codec.
.voc
The file format consists of a 26-byte header and a series of subsequent data blocks containing the audio information
.vox
The vox format most commonly uses the Dialogic ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation) codec. Similar to other ADPCM formats, it compresses to 4-bits. Vox format files are similar to wave files except that the vox files contain no information about the file itself so the codec sample rate and number of channels must first be specified in order to play a vox file.
The vox format most commonly uses the Dialogic ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation) codec. Similar to other ADPCM formats, it compresses to 4-bits. Vox format files are similar to wave files except that the vox files contain no information about the file itself so the codec sample rate and number of channels must first be specified in order to play a vox file.
.wav
Standard audio file container format used mainly in Windows PCs, developed by Microsoft and IBM. Commonly used for storing uncompressed (PCM), CD-quality sound files, which means that they can be large in size—around 10 MB per minute. Wave files can also contain data encoded with a variety of (lossy) codecs to reduce the file size (for example the GSM or MP3 formats). Wav files use a RIFF structure.
Standard audio file container format used mainly in Windows PCs, developed by Microsoft and IBM. Commonly used for storing uncompressed (PCM), CD-quality sound files, which means that they can be large in size—around 10 MB per minute. Wave files can also contain data encoded with a variety of (lossy) codecs to reduce the file size (for example the GSM or MP3 formats). Wav files use a RIFF structure.
.wma
Windows Media Audio format, created by Microsoft. Designed with DRM abilities for copy protection.
Windows Media Audio format, created by Microsoft. Designed with DRM abilities for copy protection.
.wv
Format for wavpack files.
Format for wavpack files.
.webm
Royalty-free format created for HTML video.
Royalty-free format created for HTML video.
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