What is Lossless Audio?
Also called: lossless compression
Lossless audio is audio stored in a way that keeps every bit of the original, whether uncompressed (WAV, AIFF) or with lossless compression (FLAC, ALAC). Lossy formats such as MP3 and AAC discard data to make files smaller.
The difference is about what happens to the data, not about sample rate. A lossless file at 44.1 kHz and 16 bit holds exactly what a CD holds. Higher resolution lossless files, such as 24 bit at 96 kHz, are often labeled hi res.
Lossy formats can sound excellent at high bitrates, but their losses add up when files are converted repeatedly, so producers keep lossless versions for any file that will be edited, mastered or delivered.
A quick way to spot a lossy file disguised as lossless is a spectrogram: many lossy encoders cut off the highest frequencies, which shows up as a sharp horizontal edge.
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