Embark on a Complimentary Audacity Adventure: Capturing Every Note

Natural audio recording software, such as Voice Memos for Macs or Sound Recorder for Windows PCs, is included with every machine. These applications enable users to record audio using either the desktop’s internal or an external microphone, and they generally have basic audio editing features.

However, when you’re looking for a higher-quality recording program, Audacity is the way to go. Audacity is a free audio editor with a lot of cutting-edge features. More significantly, recording using Audacity is as simple as clicking a button.

In this Audacity Record Computer Audio guide, we will show you all the methods of recording internal audio on your computer and Mac.

In this article

01 Record Audio On Audacity with a Microphone

02 Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Win

03 Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Mac

04 Set up Audacity to Record as Schedule

Part 1: How to Record Audio On Audacity with a Microphone On Windows and Mac Computers?

For both Windows and Mac, the procedures for recording audio from a microphone are the same if you’re utilizing your desktop’s built-in mic or an external microphone. Here’s your step-by-step guide to audacity record using a microphone:

Step 1: Launch Audacity and get to know the Device Toolbar, situated underneath the playback controls. You may modify the Audio Host and the Recording and Playback Devices—all of which are required for Audacity recording.

Step 2: To begin, select Tracks under the Add New tab, Stereo Track, or Mono Track to create a new track.

Step 3: Select Recording Device from the options list. Select your microphone from the dropdown menu and hit the Record option.

Step 4: A soundwave emerges along the track as you talk into the speaker. The Recording Level may be found at the top of the display. To pause or stop the recording, click Stop or Pause until you select Record anew.

Step 5: With the mouse over any recording area, click the Delete button to cut out any portion of it quickly. Click Ctrl + A, then Delete to erase whatever you’ve just saved. Alternatively, press the X button to delete the track completely.

Part 2: How to Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity On Windows?

Unlike Mac, Windows makes it simple to capture audio from a movie or media file running on your desktop. There seem to be two primary methods for accomplishing audacity record desktop audio in this way:

1. Use MME as the Audio Host

Step 1: To use MME as your audio host, go to Tracks in the Add New tab in Stereo Track and create a new file.

Step 2: Change the Audio Host (to the left of Recording Device) to MME—this is the standard setting, so you might not have to change anything.

Step 3: Choose desired option from the Recording Device dropdown menu. Based on your configuration, this might be referred to as Wave Out or Loopback. When you’re uncertain, try it out.

Step 4: To record your audio source, click Record, then play it back.

2. Use WASAPI as the Audio Host

WASAPI provides higher-resolution digital recordings. If capturing audio from an external monitor, it’s also a good idea to utilize it.

Step 1: Convert the Audio Host from MME to Windows WASAPI after creating a fresh Stereo Track.

Step 2: Switch the Recording Device to Speaker (loopback). To display the entire label, you might have to slide the toolbar’s knobs outwards. Begin recording by pressing the red dot and then listen to the audio source. Audacity will capture the audio even if your PC is muted.

Part 3: How to Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Mac?

Unfortunately, there’s no ready-made method to record computer audio using Audacity on a Mac. Some alternative ways to use Audacity to record from Mac including using a loopback cable, or download and using a third-party software. You can try some Audacity alternatives to record the computer audio on Mac.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

If you have installed Filmora already, you can use it to record the sound playing on your Mac with some tricks.

Step 1: Luanch Filmora, and then click the Record button and select Record PC Screen.

Step 2: Set up the recording settings based on the need. Since we’re going to record the playing audio from the Mac computer, select Microphone and System Audio On and click the Red button to start.

Step 3: Now you have a screen captured video with sound included. Since we need th audio only, we can attache the audio from the video first and then do some editing such as adding fade in and fade out effect, or remove unwanted audio clip.

Part 4: How to Set up Audacity to Record as Schedule?

A streaming video recorder or cassette can be used to arrange a recording. All of those are identical to Time Recordings in that they are used to schedule recording. The Timer record configuration dialog box may be used to set the beginning and finish of the recording. This is how you do it:

Step 1: By definition, the recording’s Start Date and Time are set to the present time. It will begin recording on the present day and hour by default when you don’t alter it. There is no default setting for the End Date and Time. You must either choose a date and time to determine the end time.

Step 2: There is a Checkbox to Save the work immediately. By Ticking the option, you may choose the path or Folder where the file will be saved when the recording is finished.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it – your complete Audacity Record Computer Audio guide. One thing is for certain that Audacity allows some great ways of recording audio from internal and external components of your Windows and Mac. However, if your Audacity is having issues, we would highly recommend opting for another software, such as Wondershare Filmora.

Wondershare Filmora is the finest thing that has come out in recent years for recording audio from a desktop. It is intended not just for pros but also for any enthusiast videographer who desires to create a high-quality movie for their family and friends. Download it today to make your movie a delightful journey with high-quality audio recording.

02 Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Win

03 Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Mac

04 Set up Audacity to Record as Schedule

Part 1: How to Record Audio On Audacity with a Microphone On Windows and Mac Computers?

For both Windows and Mac, the procedures for recording audio from a microphone are the same if you’re utilizing your desktop’s built-in mic or an external microphone. Here’s your step-by-step guide to audacity record using a microphone:

Step 1: Launch Audacity and get to know the Device Toolbar, situated underneath the playback controls. You may modify the Audio Host and the Recording and Playback Devices—all of which are required for Audacity recording.

Step 2: To begin, select Tracks under the Add New tab, Stereo Track, or Mono Track to create a new track.

Step 3: Select Recording Device from the options list. Select your microphone from the dropdown menu and hit the Record option.

Step 4: A soundwave emerges along the track as you talk into the speaker. The Recording Level may be found at the top of the display. To pause or stop the recording, click Stop or Pause until you select Record anew.

Step 5: With the mouse over any recording area, click the Delete button to cut out any portion of it quickly. Click Ctrl + A, then Delete to erase whatever you’ve just saved. Alternatively, press the X button to delete the track completely.

Part 2: How to Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity On Windows?

Unlike Mac, Windows makes it simple to capture audio from a movie or media file running on your desktop. There seem to be two primary methods for accomplishing audacity record desktop audio in this way:

1. Use MME as the Audio Host

Step 1: To use MME as your audio host, go to Tracks in the Add New tab in Stereo Track and create a new file.

Step 2: Change the Audio Host (to the left of Recording Device) to MME—this is the standard setting, so you might not have to change anything.

Step 3: Choose desired option from the Recording Device dropdown menu. Based on your configuration, this might be referred to as Wave Out or Loopback. When you’re uncertain, try it out.

Step 4: To record your audio source, click Record, then play it back.

2. Use WASAPI as the Audio Host

WASAPI provides higher-resolution digital recordings. If capturing audio from an external monitor, it’s also a good idea to utilize it.

Step 1: Convert the Audio Host from MME to Windows WASAPI after creating a fresh Stereo Track.

Step 2: Switch the Recording Device to Speaker (loopback). To display the entire label, you might have to slide the toolbar’s knobs outwards. Begin recording by pressing the red dot and then listen to the audio source. Audacity will capture the audio even if your PC is muted.

Part 3: How to Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Mac?

Unfortunately, there’s no ready-made method to record computer audio using Audacity on a Mac. Some alternative ways to use Audacity to record from Mac including using a loopback cable, or download and using a third-party software. You can try some Audacity alternatives to record the computer audio on Mac.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

If you have installed Filmora already, you can use it to record the sound playing on your Mac with some tricks.

Step 1: Luanch Filmora, and then click the Record button and select Record PC Screen.

Step 2: Set up the recording settings based on the need. Since we’re going to record the playing audio from the Mac computer, select Microphone and System Audio On and click the Red button to start.

Step 3: Now you have a screen captured video with sound included. Since we need th audio only, we can attache the audio from the video first and then do some editing such as adding fade in and fade out effect, or remove unwanted audio clip.

Part 4: How to Set up Audacity to Record as Schedule?

A streaming video recorder or cassette can be used to arrange a recording. All of those are identical to Time Recordings in that they are used to schedule recording. The Timer record configuration dialog box may be used to set the beginning and finish of the recording. This is how you do it:

Step 1: By definition, the recording’s Start Date and Time are set to the present time. It will begin recording on the present day and hour by default when you don’t alter it. There is no default setting for the End Date and Time. You must either choose a date and time to determine the end time.

Step 2: There is a Checkbox to Save the work immediately. By Ticking the option, you may choose the path or Folder where the file will be saved when the recording is finished.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it – your complete Audacity Record Computer Audio guide. One thing is for certain that Audacity allows some great ways of recording audio from internal and external components of your Windows and Mac. However, if your Audacity is having issues, we would highly recommend opting for another software, such as Wondershare Filmora.

Wondershare Filmora is the finest thing that has come out in recent years for recording audio from a desktop. It is intended not just for pros but also for any enthusiast videographer who desires to create a high-quality movie for their family and friends. Download it today to make your movie a delightful journey with high-quality audio recording.

02 Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Win

03 Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Mac

04 Set up Audacity to Record as Schedule

Part 1: How to Record Audio On Audacity with a Microphone On Windows and Mac Computers?

For both Windows and Mac, the procedures for recording audio from a microphone are the same if you’re utilizing your desktop’s built-in mic or an external microphone. Here’s your step-by-step guide to audacity record using a microphone:

Step 1: Launch Audacity and get to know the Device Toolbar, situated underneath the playback controls. You may modify the Audio Host and the Recording and Playback Devices—all of which are required for Audacity recording.

Step 2: To begin, select Tracks under the Add New tab, Stereo Track, or Mono Track to create a new track.

Step 3: Select Recording Device from the options list. Select your microphone from the dropdown menu and hit the Record option.

Step 4: A soundwave emerges along the track as you talk into the speaker. The Recording Level may be found at the top of the display. To pause or stop the recording, click Stop or Pause until you select Record anew.

Step 5: With the mouse over any recording area, click the Delete button to cut out any portion of it quickly. Click Ctrl + A, then Delete to erase whatever you’ve just saved. Alternatively, press the X button to delete the track completely.

Part 2: How to Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity On Windows?

Unlike Mac, Windows makes it simple to capture audio from a movie or media file running on your desktop. There seem to be two primary methods for accomplishing audacity record desktop audio in this way:

1. Use MME as the Audio Host

Step 1: To use MME as your audio host, go to Tracks in the Add New tab in Stereo Track and create a new file.

Step 2: Change the Audio Host (to the left of Recording Device) to MME—this is the standard setting, so you might not have to change anything.

Step 3: Choose desired option from the Recording Device dropdown menu. Based on your configuration, this might be referred to as Wave Out or Loopback. When you’re uncertain, try it out.

Step 4: To record your audio source, click Record, then play it back.

2. Use WASAPI as the Audio Host

WASAPI provides higher-resolution digital recordings. If capturing audio from an external monitor, it’s also a good idea to utilize it.

Step 1: Convert the Audio Host from MME to Windows WASAPI after creating a fresh Stereo Track.

Step 2: Switch the Recording Device to Speaker (loopback). To display the entire label, you might have to slide the toolbar’s knobs outwards. Begin recording by pressing the red dot and then listen to the audio source. Audacity will capture the audio even if your PC is muted.

Part 3: How to Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Mac?

Unfortunately, there’s no ready-made method to record computer audio using Audacity on a Mac. Some alternative ways to use Audacity to record from Mac including using a loopback cable, or download and using a third-party software. You can try some Audacity alternatives to record the computer audio on Mac.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

If you have installed Filmora already, you can use it to record the sound playing on your Mac with some tricks.

Step 1: Luanch Filmora, and then click the Record button and select Record PC Screen.

Step 2: Set up the recording settings based on the need. Since we’re going to record the playing audio from the Mac computer, select Microphone and System Audio On and click the Red button to start.

Step 3: Now you have a screen captured video with sound included. Since we need th audio only, we can attache the audio from the video first and then do some editing such as adding fade in and fade out effect, or remove unwanted audio clip.

Part 4: How to Set up Audacity to Record as Schedule?

A streaming video recorder or cassette can be used to arrange a recording. All of those are identical to Time Recordings in that they are used to schedule recording. The Timer record configuration dialog box may be used to set the beginning and finish of the recording. This is how you do it:

Step 1: By definition, the recording’s Start Date and Time are set to the present time. It will begin recording on the present day and hour by default when you don’t alter it. There is no default setting for the End Date and Time. You must either choose a date and time to determine the end time.

Step 2: There is a Checkbox to Save the work immediately. By Ticking the option, you may choose the path or Folder where the file will be saved when the recording is finished.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it – your complete Audacity Record Computer Audio guide. One thing is for certain that Audacity allows some great ways of recording audio from internal and external components of your Windows and Mac. However, if your Audacity is having issues, we would highly recommend opting for another software, such as Wondershare Filmora.

Wondershare Filmora is the finest thing that has come out in recent years for recording audio from a desktop. It is intended not just for pros but also for any enthusiast videographer who desires to create a high-quality movie for their family and friends. Download it today to make your movie a delightful journey with high-quality audio recording.

02 Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Win

03 Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Mac

04 Set up Audacity to Record as Schedule

Part 1: How to Record Audio On Audacity with a Microphone On Windows and Mac Computers?

For both Windows and Mac, the procedures for recording audio from a microphone are the same if you’re utilizing your desktop’s built-in mic or an external microphone. Here’s your step-by-step guide to audacity record using a microphone:

Step 1: Launch Audacity and get to know the Device Toolbar, situated underneath the playback controls. You may modify the Audio Host and the Recording and Playback Devices—all of which are required for Audacity recording.

Step 2: To begin, select Tracks under the Add New tab, Stereo Track, or Mono Track to create a new track.

Step 3: Select Recording Device from the options list. Select your microphone from the dropdown menu and hit the Record option.

Step 4: A soundwave emerges along the track as you talk into the speaker. The Recording Level may be found at the top of the display. To pause or stop the recording, click Stop or Pause until you select Record anew.

Step 5: With the mouse over any recording area, click the Delete button to cut out any portion of it quickly. Click Ctrl + A, then Delete to erase whatever you’ve just saved. Alternatively, press the X button to delete the track completely.

Part 2: How to Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity On Windows?

Unlike Mac, Windows makes it simple to capture audio from a movie or media file running on your desktop. There seem to be two primary methods for accomplishing audacity record desktop audio in this way:

1. Use MME as the Audio Host

Step 1: To use MME as your audio host, go to Tracks in the Add New tab in Stereo Track and create a new file.

Step 2: Change the Audio Host (to the left of Recording Device) to MME—this is the standard setting, so you might not have to change anything.

Step 3: Choose desired option from the Recording Device dropdown menu. Based on your configuration, this might be referred to as Wave Out or Loopback. When you’re uncertain, try it out.

Step 4: To record your audio source, click Record, then play it back.

2. Use WASAPI as the Audio Host

WASAPI provides higher-resolution digital recordings. If capturing audio from an external monitor, it’s also a good idea to utilize it.

Step 1: Convert the Audio Host from MME to Windows WASAPI after creating a fresh Stereo Track.

Step 2: Switch the Recording Device to Speaker (loopback). To display the entire label, you might have to slide the toolbar’s knobs outwards. Begin recording by pressing the red dot and then listen to the audio source. Audacity will capture the audio even if your PC is muted.

Part 3: How to Record Sounds Playing on Your Computer Using Audacity on Mac?

Unfortunately, there’s no ready-made method to record computer audio using Audacity on a Mac. Some alternative ways to use Audacity to record from Mac including using a loopback cable, or download and using a third-party software. You can try some Audacity alternatives to record the computer audio on Mac.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

If you have installed Filmora already, you can use it to record the sound playing on your Mac with some tricks.

Step 1: Luanch Filmora, and then click the Record button and select Record PC Screen.

Step 2: Set up the recording settings based on the need. Since we’re going to record the playing audio from the Mac computer, select Microphone and System Audio On and click the Red button to start.

Step 3: Now you have a screen captured video with sound included. Since we need th audio only, we can attache the audio from the video first and then do some editing such as adding fade in and fade out effect, or remove unwanted audio clip.

Part 4: How to Set up Audacity to Record as Schedule?

A streaming video recorder or cassette can be used to arrange a recording. All of those are identical to Time Recordings in that they are used to schedule recording. The Timer record configuration dialog box may be used to set the beginning and finish of the recording. This is how you do it:

Step 1: By definition, the recording’s Start Date and Time are set to the present time. It will begin recording on the present day and hour by default when you don’t alter it. There is no default setting for the End Date and Time. You must either choose a date and time to determine the end time.

Step 2: There is a Checkbox to Save the work immediately. By Ticking the option, you may choose the path or Folder where the file will be saved when the recording is finished.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it – your complete Audacity Record Computer Audio guide. One thing is for certain that Audacity allows some great ways of recording audio from internal and external components of your Windows and Mac. However, if your Audacity is having issues, we would highly recommend opting for another software, such as Wondershare Filmora.

Wondershare Filmora is the finest thing that has come out in recent years for recording audio from a desktop. It is intended not just for pros but also for any enthusiast videographer who desires to create a high-quality movie for their family and friends. Download it today to make your movie a delightful journey with high-quality audio recording.

Creating a Subtle Auditory Ending: Effective Audio Fading Techniques

Audio fade out, where sound becomes progressively softer until it can no longer be heard, is one of the most popular audio techniques today. This can give the audio track a clean, professional sound. If you want to apply this kind of audio effect, Wondershare Filmora - an easy-to-use program can help you achieve that. Now follow the steps below to learn how to apply the audio fade out effect to your video.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

How To Fade Out Audio in Wondershare Filmora?

1. Import your video/audio to Wondershare Filmora

Install and open Wondershare Filmora . Click the “Import” button to browse and import the video/audio file you want to edit. You can also drag and drop your video/audio file to the program. Wondershare Filmora supports various video and audio formats such as AVI, NSV, FLV, MKV, MP4, M4V, RMVB, TS, TP, TRP, M2TS, APE, CUE, AU, AMR, OGG, and more. You can directly import these kinds of files without conversion.

2. Apply audio fade out effect

Drop your video/audio to the Video/Audio Timeline. If you need to detach the audio file from the video, you can use the Detach audio feature in Filmora to accomplish it easily.

Find the “Fade Out” option from the context menu. Double click on the target file and switch to the “Audio” column. Then drag the slider bar until the audio is faded to your liking. Then you can manually set the fade out the length by dragging the slider bar to the right or left. If you make a mistake or want to change the length, click the “Reset” button. Then click the “Play” button to play the newly faded audio track.

3. Save the newly faded file

You can specify the output format, output name, and output folder. If you want to specify the detailed parameters, click the triangle beside the “Advanced settings” option and make changes by clicking the drop-down list. If you’re satisfied with the result, click the “Export” button, and then an output window will pop up.

If you want to play the new file on mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, iPod, Zune, go to the “Device” tab and choose a specific device from the list. You can also directly share the file to YouTube and Facebook in the “YouTube” tab or burn it to DVD in the “DVD” tab.

Audio fading out is a simple task with Wondershare Filmora. With this powerful video editing tool, you can also combine video/audio, split video, rotate video, add the image to mp3, remove audio from video, and more. Now download and explore more possibilities for your digital world.

Related Tips: How to Edit the Audio Track of Your Video

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

How To Fade Out Audio in Wondershare Filmora?

1. Import your video/audio to Wondershare Filmora

Install and open Wondershare Filmora . Click the “Import” button to browse and import the video/audio file you want to edit. You can also drag and drop your video/audio file to the program. Wondershare Filmora supports various video and audio formats such as AVI, NSV, FLV, MKV, MP4, M4V, RMVB, TS, TP, TRP, M2TS, APE, CUE, AU, AMR, OGG, and more. You can directly import these kinds of files without conversion.

2. Apply audio fade out effect

Drop your video/audio to the Video/Audio Timeline. If you need to detach the audio file from the video, you can use the Detach audio feature in Filmora to accomplish it easily.

Find the “Fade Out” option from the context menu. Double click on the target file and switch to the “Audio” column. Then drag the slider bar until the audio is faded to your liking. Then you can manually set the fade out the length by dragging the slider bar to the right or left. If you make a mistake or want to change the length, click the “Reset” button. Then click the “Play” button to play the newly faded audio track.

3. Save the newly faded file

You can specify the output format, output name, and output folder. If you want to specify the detailed parameters, click the triangle beside the “Advanced settings” option and make changes by clicking the drop-down list. If you’re satisfied with the result, click the “Export” button, and then an output window will pop up.

If you want to play the new file on mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, iPod, Zune, go to the “Device” tab and choose a specific device from the list. You can also directly share the file to YouTube and Facebook in the “YouTube” tab or burn it to DVD in the “DVD” tab.

Audio fading out is a simple task with Wondershare Filmora. With this powerful video editing tool, you can also combine video/audio, split video, rotate video, add the image to mp3, remove audio from video, and more. Now download and explore more possibilities for your digital world.

Related Tips: How to Edit the Audio Track of Your Video

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

How To Fade Out Audio in Wondershare Filmora?

1. Import your video/audio to Wondershare Filmora

Install and open Wondershare Filmora . Click the “Import” button to browse and import the video/audio file you want to edit. You can also drag and drop your video/audio file to the program. Wondershare Filmora supports various video and audio formats such as AVI, NSV, FLV, MKV, MP4, M4V, RMVB, TS, TP, TRP, M2TS, APE, CUE, AU, AMR, OGG, and more. You can directly import these kinds of files without conversion.

2. Apply audio fade out effect

Drop your video/audio to the Video/Audio Timeline. If you need to detach the audio file from the video, you can use the Detach audio feature in Filmora to accomplish it easily.

Find the “Fade Out” option from the context menu. Double click on the target file and switch to the “Audio” column. Then drag the slider bar until the audio is faded to your liking. Then you can manually set the fade out the length by dragging the slider bar to the right or left. If you make a mistake or want to change the length, click the “Reset” button. Then click the “Play” button to play the newly faded audio track.

3. Save the newly faded file

You can specify the output format, output name, and output folder. If you want to specify the detailed parameters, click the triangle beside the “Advanced settings” option and make changes by clicking the drop-down list. If you’re satisfied with the result, click the “Export” button, and then an output window will pop up.

If you want to play the new file on mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, iPod, Zune, go to the “Device” tab and choose a specific device from the list. You can also directly share the file to YouTube and Facebook in the “YouTube” tab or burn it to DVD in the “DVD” tab.

Audio fading out is a simple task with Wondershare Filmora. With this powerful video editing tool, you can also combine video/audio, split video, rotate video, add the image to mp3, remove audio from video, and more. Now download and explore more possibilities for your digital world.

Related Tips: How to Edit the Audio Track of Your Video

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

How To Fade Out Audio in Wondershare Filmora?

1. Import your video/audio to Wondershare Filmora

Install and open Wondershare Filmora . Click the “Import” button to browse and import the video/audio file you want to edit. You can also drag and drop your video/audio file to the program. Wondershare Filmora supports various video and audio formats such as AVI, NSV, FLV, MKV, MP4, M4V, RMVB, TS, TP, TRP, M2TS, APE, CUE, AU, AMR, OGG, and more. You can directly import these kinds of files without conversion.

2. Apply audio fade out effect

Drop your video/audio to the Video/Audio Timeline. If you need to detach the audio file from the video, you can use the Detach audio feature in Filmora to accomplish it easily.

Find the “Fade Out” option from the context menu. Double click on the target file and switch to the “Audio” column. Then drag the slider bar until the audio is faded to your liking. Then you can manually set the fade out the length by dragging the slider bar to the right or left. If you make a mistake or want to change the length, click the “Reset” button. Then click the “Play” button to play the newly faded audio track.

3. Save the newly faded file

You can specify the output format, output name, and output folder. If you want to specify the detailed parameters, click the triangle beside the “Advanced settings” option and make changes by clicking the drop-down list. If you’re satisfied with the result, click the “Export” button, and then an output window will pop up.

If you want to play the new file on mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, iPod, Zune, go to the “Device” tab and choose a specific device from the list. You can also directly share the file to YouTube and Facebook in the “YouTube” tab or burn it to DVD in the “DVD” tab.

Audio fading out is a simple task with Wondershare Filmora. With this powerful video editing tool, you can also combine video/audio, split video, rotate video, add the image to mp3, remove audio from video, and more. Now download and explore more possibilities for your digital world.

Related Tips: How to Edit the Audio Track of Your Video

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

Mastering the Art of Optimal Audio Format Selection

How to Choose Best Audio Formats

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The quality of sound that you hear depends on various factors, and an appropriate audio format is one of them. While each type of acoustic file has its own significance, choosing the best audio format as per the target player, expected audience, and/or supporting videos or images (if any) is something that needs much consideration to offer a flawless listening experience.

With that said, here you will learn about some of the most common sound file types, which among them could be the best audio format according to your requirements, and a couple of important points that you must keep in might while picking an extension for your media preparations.

• Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats
• Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?
• Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?
• Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Using Filmora to Record & Edit & Save Audio Easily

Wondershare Filmora is a simple yet robust video editing software that allows you to save a video to mp3 easily. Besides, if you want to remove background noise from audio, or change the audio volume or remove unwanted audio parts from the video, you should definitely try Filmora.

---

Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats

Before listing the most common audio file formats, it is important to understand the categories of the sound files. Every audio format that exists belongs to one (or more) category depending on the way it is being created and the characteristics it has.

In a nutshell, there are three major categories, including:

• Uncompressed Audio Format
• Lossless Compressed Audio Format
• Lossy Compressed Audio Format

Below is a brief introduction of each of the classes listed above along with the audio file types that belong to them:

1. Uncompressed Audio Format

Uncompressed audio is the original sound that has been recorded directly from the source in the analog form, and then converted to a digital signal without any modifications or compressions. Because an uncompressed sound is prepared with no retouching or manipulations, it gives an as-is listening experience. Since no compression is done on such a file either, it occupies a remarkably huge amount of space on your storage media.

Some sound files that fall under this category include:

1) Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM)

A PCM file is the digital version of an analog waveform that is created by recording the audio samples, technically known as pulses. The PCM format is mostly used when creating optical media discs, typically the CDs and DVDs.

2) Waveform Audio File Format (WAV)

Generally used on the Windows platform, this audio format is not a file itself but a container that may contain both compressed or uncompressed files. However, in most cases, it is the latter that a WAV file has, and PCM format is one of them.

You may also interest: YouTube to WAV >>

3) Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)

AIFF is almost identical to WAV format in its characteristics with the only difference that, unlike the latter, it was developed by Apple somewhere in 1988, and works as a container for both compressed and uncompressed audio files. While the compressed version of the format is called AIFF-C, the term Apple Loop is used when the scenario is otherwise. As it is with WAV, even AIFF files mostly contain uncompressed audio, that usually is PCM.

You may also like: Best AIFF to MP3 Converters >>

4) Data Stream Digital (DSD)

Used by Sony and Phillips, DSD is also not a format itself but a container that can store PCM files to provide decent sound quality. However, due to distortions in the composed audio, DSD files are not much in trend.

2. Lossless Compressed Audio Format

Lossless Compressed audio format is a type of file that is compressed using some advanced methods without compromising with the quality of the sound. This means that when played, you experience the same acoustic excellence as that of the source, i.e. uncompressed audio. However, even though the lossless compressed files are comparatively small in size, they still occupy decent amount of space on the hard drive or any other storage media in use.

Some formats that fall under the lossless compressed category include:

1) Free Lossless Audio Code (FLAC)

At around half the size of the source sound file, FLAC offers the original audio quality without removing any acoustic information during compression. Being an opensource and royalty-free audio format, FLAC is even easier to get, and in most cases is used as an alternative to MP3.

Check some of the best FLAC editor programs >>

2) Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)

Introduced by Apple Inc. and initially released as a proprietary product, ALAC was made royalty-free and opensource in 2011. Even though ALAC files are larger in size when compared to FLAC, the former format is used in iTunes and iOS as the latter isn’t supported by these platforms.

3. Lossy Compressed Audio Format

These are the highly compressed files that occupy significantly less amount of space on your storage media. However, during the compression process, some acoustic information is lost in order to reduce the file size. Nevertheless, if compressed correctly, the deterioration in the quality is almost negligible, and cannot be experienced unless the listener is quite experienced and the source recording is played next to the compressed audio simultaneously.

Some audio formats that fall under the lossy compressed category include:

1) MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)

This is one of the most common file types and the best audio format for almost all media types that have sound. An MP3 file is free from the noises of the least significant in the composed audio. In addition, all the acoustic information with the frequency that normal human beings fail to catch (below 20Hz and above 20000Hz) is safely erased during compilation and compression. Furthermore, what makes MP3 the best audio file format is its ability to accommodate with almost all the devices of nearly any platform such as Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, etc.

Check this MP3 editor and convert video to MP3 easily.

2) OGG

This one, again, is not in fact an audio format but is a container for audio that generally stores Vorbis files. Although OGG files are way advanced in terms of sound quality and even offer higher compression ratio when compared with MP3, they are not much in use as many platforms and devices don’t support the format till date.

3) AU

AU is a format by Sun, DEC, and NeXT. It is yet another container that can hold both lossless and lossy files. AU files are mostly used in UNIX.

What’s the difference between common audio file formats like MP3, WAV, and FLAC? Watch the video below to learn more.

---

Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?

If you are a media creator, and are into the business of preparing audio and video content for your clients or directly for the audience, it is imperative to understand what could be the best audio file format to compose the audiovisual files. Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind in this context before proceeding:

• Uncompressed Audio

If the media type you are about to create is expected to be used for further editing before exporting to a different format, using an uncompressed audio format would be best as it offers a smooth and flawless post-production experience without giving much overhead to the processor.

• Lossless Compressed Audio

If your audiences own highly sophisticated audio players with Hi-Fi speaker systems, and they are also good at recognizing and understanding the differences between poor and optimal audio quality, using lossless compressed audio format would be a good choice as it gives decent sound quality in smaller file size.

• Compressed Audio

If you are preparing a media for home users and casual listeners, you can safely use an audio format that has been prepared using a higher compression ratio. In such a scenario, MP3 is the best audio format that not only offers the decent sound quality, it also occupies less amount of space on your storage media, thus enabling you to save more files at a given time.

Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?

At the time of this writing, YouTube supports two types of formats namely MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. Although both of these are video containers, they also hold audio files. Details about both these types are as follows:

• MPEG-2
  • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above
  • Audio Codec: Dolby AC-3 or MPEG Layer II
• MPEG-4
  • **Video Codec:**264
  • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above

Since many people nowadays produce videos in MP4 due to its wide range of supported devices and players and the fact that the container is used by majority of users worldwide, MPEG-4 with audio format could be mostly seen on YouTube.

Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Being one of the most versatile post-production tools preferred by many professional editors worldwide, Filmora comes with a variety of audio formats from all the three categories discussed above. Furthermore, Filmora also displays relevant information about each of the file types it offers.

The following table shows a list of formats and the details that Filmora supports:

Video Format	Corresponding Audio Encoder	Audio Type
MP4	Lossy Compressed
WMV	WMA8, WMA9	Uncompressed
AVI	MP3, PCM	Lossy Compressed, Uncompressed
MOV	Lossy Compressed
F4V	Lossy Compressed
MKV	MP3	Lossy Compressed
TS	MPEG-2 Audio	Lossy Compressed
3GP	Lossy Compressed
MPEG-2	MPEG-2 Audio	Lossy Compressed
WEBM	Vorbis	Lossy Compressed

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The quality of sound that you hear depends on various factors, and an appropriate audio format is one of them. While each type of acoustic file has its own significance, choosing the best audio format as per the target player, expected audience, and/or supporting videos or images (if any) is something that needs much consideration to offer a flawless listening experience.

With that said, here you will learn about some of the most common sound file types, which among them could be the best audio format according to your requirements, and a couple of important points that you must keep in might while picking an extension for your media preparations.

• Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats
• Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?
• Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?
• Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Using Filmora to Record & Edit & Save Audio Easily

Wondershare Filmora is a simple yet robust video editing software that allows you to save a video to mp3 easily. Besides, if you want to remove background noise from audio, or change the audio volume or remove unwanted audio parts from the video, you should definitely try Filmora.

---

Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats

Before listing the most common audio file formats, it is important to understand the categories of the sound files. Every audio format that exists belongs to one (or more) category depending on the way it is being created and the characteristics it has.

In a nutshell, there are three major categories, including:

• Uncompressed Audio Format
• Lossless Compressed Audio Format
• Lossy Compressed Audio Format

Below is a brief introduction of each of the classes listed above along with the audio file types that belong to them:

1. Uncompressed Audio Format

Uncompressed audio is the original sound that has been recorded directly from the source in the analog form, and then converted to a digital signal without any modifications or compressions. Because an uncompressed sound is prepared with no retouching or manipulations, it gives an as-is listening experience. Since no compression is done on such a file either, it occupies a remarkably huge amount of space on your storage media.

Some sound files that fall under this category include:

1) Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM)

A PCM file is the digital version of an analog waveform that is created by recording the audio samples, technically known as pulses. The PCM format is mostly used when creating optical media discs, typically the CDs and DVDs.

2) Waveform Audio File Format (WAV)

Generally used on the Windows platform, this audio format is not a file itself but a container that may contain both compressed or uncompressed files. However, in most cases, it is the latter that a WAV file has, and PCM format is one of them.

You may also interest: YouTube to WAV >>

3) Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)

AIFF is almost identical to WAV format in its characteristics with the only difference that, unlike the latter, it was developed by Apple somewhere in 1988, and works as a container for both compressed and uncompressed audio files. While the compressed version of the format is called AIFF-C, the term Apple Loop is used when the scenario is otherwise. As it is with WAV, even AIFF files mostly contain uncompressed audio, that usually is PCM.

You may also like: Best AIFF to MP3 Converters >>

4) Data Stream Digital (DSD)

Used by Sony and Phillips, DSD is also not a format itself but a container that can store PCM files to provide decent sound quality. However, due to distortions in the composed audio, DSD files are not much in trend.

2. Lossless Compressed Audio Format

Lossless Compressed audio format is a type of file that is compressed using some advanced methods without compromising with the quality of the sound. This means that when played, you experience the same acoustic excellence as that of the source, i.e. uncompressed audio. However, even though the lossless compressed files are comparatively small in size, they still occupy decent amount of space on the hard drive or any other storage media in use.

Some formats that fall under the lossless compressed category include:

1) Free Lossless Audio Code (FLAC)

At around half the size of the source sound file, FLAC offers the original audio quality without removing any acoustic information during compression. Being an opensource and royalty-free audio format, FLAC is even easier to get, and in most cases is used as an alternative to MP3.

Check some of the best FLAC editor programs >>

2) Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)

Introduced by Apple Inc. and initially released as a proprietary product, ALAC was made royalty-free and opensource in 2011. Even though ALAC files are larger in size when compared to FLAC, the former format is used in iTunes and iOS as the latter isn’t supported by these platforms.

3. Lossy Compressed Audio Format

These are the highly compressed files that occupy significantly less amount of space on your storage media. However, during the compression process, some acoustic information is lost in order to reduce the file size. Nevertheless, if compressed correctly, the deterioration in the quality is almost negligible, and cannot be experienced unless the listener is quite experienced and the source recording is played next to the compressed audio simultaneously.

Some audio formats that fall under the lossy compressed category include:

1) MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)

This is one of the most common file types and the best audio format for almost all media types that have sound. An MP3 file is free from the noises of the least significant in the composed audio. In addition, all the acoustic information with the frequency that normal human beings fail to catch (below 20Hz and above 20000Hz) is safely erased during compilation and compression. Furthermore, what makes MP3 the best audio file format is its ability to accommodate with almost all the devices of nearly any platform such as Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, etc.

Check this MP3 editor and convert video to MP3 easily.

2) OGG

This one, again, is not in fact an audio format but is a container for audio that generally stores Vorbis files. Although OGG files are way advanced in terms of sound quality and even offer higher compression ratio when compared with MP3, they are not much in use as many platforms and devices don’t support the format till date.

3) AU

AU is a format by Sun, DEC, and NeXT. It is yet another container that can hold both lossless and lossy files. AU files are mostly used in UNIX.

What’s the difference between common audio file formats like MP3, WAV, and FLAC? Watch the video below to learn more.

---

Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?

If you are a media creator, and are into the business of preparing audio and video content for your clients or directly for the audience, it is imperative to understand what could be the best audio file format to compose the audiovisual files. Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind in this context before proceeding:

• Uncompressed Audio

If the media type you are about to create is expected to be used for further editing before exporting to a different format, using an uncompressed audio format would be best as it offers a smooth and flawless post-production experience without giving much overhead to the processor.

• Lossless Compressed Audio

If your audiences own highly sophisticated audio players with Hi-Fi speaker systems, and they are also good at recognizing and understanding the differences between poor and optimal audio quality, using lossless compressed audio format would be a good choice as it gives decent sound quality in smaller file size.

• Compressed Audio

If you are preparing a media for home users and casual listeners, you can safely use an audio format that has been prepared using a higher compression ratio. In such a scenario, MP3 is the best audio format that not only offers the decent sound quality, it also occupies less amount of space on your storage media, thus enabling you to save more files at a given time.

Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?

At the time of this writing, YouTube supports two types of formats namely MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. Although both of these are video containers, they also hold audio files. Details about both these types are as follows:

• MPEG-2
  • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above
  • Audio Codec: Dolby AC-3 or MPEG Layer II
• MPEG-4
  • **Video Codec:**264
  • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above

Since many people nowadays produce videos in MP4 due to its wide range of supported devices and players and the fact that the container is used by majority of users worldwide, MPEG-4 with audio format could be mostly seen on YouTube.

Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Being one of the most versatile post-production tools preferred by many professional editors worldwide, Filmora comes with a variety of audio formats from all the three categories discussed above. Furthermore, Filmora also displays relevant information about each of the file types it offers.

The following table shows a list of formats and the details that Filmora supports:

Video Format	Corresponding Audio Encoder	Audio Type
MP4	Lossy Compressed
WMV	WMA8, WMA9	Uncompressed
AVI	MP3, PCM	Lossy Compressed, Uncompressed
MOV	Lossy Compressed
F4V	Lossy Compressed
MKV	MP3	Lossy Compressed
TS	MPEG-2 Audio	Lossy Compressed
3GP	Lossy Compressed
MPEG-2	MPEG-2 Audio	Lossy Compressed
WEBM	Vorbis	Lossy Compressed

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The quality of sound that you hear depends on various factors, and an appropriate audio format is one of them. While each type of acoustic file has its own significance, choosing the best audio format as per the target player, expected audience, and/or supporting videos or images (if any) is something that needs much consideration to offer a flawless listening experience.

With that said, here you will learn about some of the most common sound file types, which among them could be the best audio format according to your requirements, and a couple of important points that you must keep in might while picking an extension for your media preparations.

• Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats
• Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?
• Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?
• Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Using Filmora to Record & Edit & Save Audio Easily

Wondershare Filmora is a simple yet robust video editing software that allows you to save a video to mp3 easily. Besides, if you want to remove background noise from audio, or change the audio volume or remove unwanted audio parts from the video, you should definitely try Filmora.

---

Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats

Before listing the most common audio file formats, it is important to understand the categories of the sound files. Every audio format that exists belongs to one (or more) category depending on the way it is being created and the characteristics it has.

In a nutshell, there are three major categories, including:

• Uncompressed Audio Format
• Lossless Compressed Audio Format
• Lossy Compressed Audio Format

Below is a brief introduction of each of the classes listed above along with the audio file types that belong to them:

1. Uncompressed Audio Format

Uncompressed audio is the original sound that has been recorded directly from the source in the analog form, and then converted to a digital signal without any modifications or compressions. Because an uncompressed sound is prepared with no retouching or manipulations, it gives an as-is listening experience. Since no compression is done on such a file either, it occupies a remarkably huge amount of space on your storage media.

Some sound files that fall under this category include:

1) Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM)

A PCM file is the digital version of an analog waveform that is created by recording the audio samples, technically known as pulses. The PCM format is mostly used when creating optical media discs, typically the CDs and DVDs.

2) Waveform Audio File Format (WAV)

Generally used on the Windows platform, this audio format is not a file itself but a container that may contain both compressed or uncompressed files. However, in most cases, it is the latter that a WAV file has, and PCM format is one of them.

You may also interest: YouTube to WAV >>

3) Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)

AIFF is almost identical to WAV format in its characteristics with the only difference that, unlike the latter, it was developed by Apple somewhere in 1988, and works as a container for both compressed and uncompressed audio files. While the compressed version of the format is called AIFF-C, the term Apple Loop is used when the scenario is otherwise. As it is with WAV, even AIFF files mostly contain uncompressed audio, that usually is PCM.

You may also like: Best AIFF to MP3 Converters >>

4) Data Stream Digital (DSD)

Used by Sony and Phillips, DSD is also not a format itself but a container that can store PCM files to provide decent sound quality. However, due to distortions in the composed audio, DSD files are not much in trend.

2. Lossless Compressed Audio Format

Lossless Compressed audio format is a type of file that is compressed using some advanced methods without compromising with the quality of the sound. This means that when played, you experience the same acoustic excellence as that of the source, i.e. uncompressed audio. However, even though the lossless compressed files are comparatively small in size, they still occupy decent amount of space on the hard drive or any other storage media in use.

Some formats that fall under the lossless compressed category include:

1) Free Lossless Audio Code (FLAC)

At around half the size of the source sound file, FLAC offers the original audio quality without removing any acoustic information during compression. Being an opensource and royalty-free audio format, FLAC is even easier to get, and in most cases is used as an alternative to MP3.

Check some of the best FLAC editor programs >>

2) Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)

Introduced by Apple Inc. and initially released as a proprietary product, ALAC was made royalty-free and opensource in 2011. Even though ALAC files are larger in size when compared to FLAC, the former format is used in iTunes and iOS as the latter isn’t supported by these platforms.

3. Lossy Compressed Audio Format

These are the highly compressed files that occupy significantly less amount of space on your storage media. However, during the compression process, some acoustic information is lost in order to reduce the file size. Nevertheless, if compressed correctly, the deterioration in the quality is almost negligible, and cannot be experienced unless the listener is quite experienced and the source recording is played next to the compressed audio simultaneously.

Some audio formats that fall under the lossy compressed category include:

1) MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)

This is one of the most common file types and the best audio format for almost all media types that have sound. An MP3 file is free from the noises of the least significant in the composed audio. In addition, all the acoustic information with the frequency that normal human beings fail to catch (below 20Hz and above 20000Hz) is safely erased during compilation and compression. Furthermore, what makes MP3 the best audio file format is its ability to accommodate with almost all the devices of nearly any platform such as Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, etc.

Check this MP3 editor and convert video to MP3 easily.

2) OGG

This one, again, is not in fact an audio format but is a container for audio that generally stores Vorbis files. Although OGG files are way advanced in terms of sound quality and even offer higher compression ratio when compared with MP3, they are not much in use as many platforms and devices don’t support the format till date.

3) AU

AU is a format by Sun, DEC, and NeXT. It is yet another container that can hold both lossless and lossy files. AU files are mostly used in UNIX.

What’s the difference between common audio file formats like MP3, WAV, and FLAC? Watch the video below to learn more.

---

Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?

If you are a media creator, and are into the business of preparing audio and video content for your clients or directly for the audience, it is imperative to understand what could be the best audio file format to compose the audiovisual files. Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind in this context before proceeding:

• Uncompressed Audio

If the media type you are about to create is expected to be used for further editing before exporting to a different format, using an uncompressed audio format would be best as it offers a smooth and flawless post-production experience without giving much overhead to the processor.

• Lossless Compressed Audio

If your audiences own highly sophisticated audio players with Hi-Fi speaker systems, and they are also good at recognizing and understanding the differences between poor and optimal audio quality, using lossless compressed audio format would be a good choice as it gives decent sound quality in smaller file size.

• Compressed Audio

If you are preparing a media for home users and casual listeners, you can safely use an audio format that has been prepared using a higher compression ratio. In such a scenario, MP3 is the best audio format that not only offers the decent sound quality, it also occupies less amount of space on your storage media, thus enabling you to save more files at a given time.

Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?

At the time of this writing, YouTube supports two types of formats namely MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. Although both of these are video containers, they also hold audio files. Details about both these types are as follows:

• MPEG-2
  • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above
  • Audio Codec: Dolby AC-3 or MPEG Layer II
• MPEG-4
  • **Video Codec:**264
  • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above

Since many people nowadays produce videos in MP4 due to its wide range of supported devices and players and the fact that the container is used by majority of users worldwide, MPEG-4 with audio format could be mostly seen on YouTube.

Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Being one of the most versatile post-production tools preferred by many professional editors worldwide, Filmora comes with a variety of audio formats from all the three categories discussed above. Furthermore, Filmora also displays relevant information about each of the file types it offers.

The following table shows a list of formats and the details that Filmora supports:

Video Format	Corresponding Audio Encoder	Audio Type
MP4	Lossy Compressed
WMV	WMA8, WMA9	Uncompressed
AVI	MP3, PCM	Lossy Compressed, Uncompressed
MOV	Lossy Compressed
F4V	Lossy Compressed
MKV	MP3	Lossy Compressed
TS	MPEG-2 Audio	Lossy Compressed
3GP	Lossy Compressed
MPEG-2	MPEG-2 Audio	Lossy Compressed
WEBM	Vorbis	Lossy Compressed

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The quality of sound that you hear depends on various factors, and an appropriate audio format is one of them. While each type of acoustic file has its own significance, choosing the best audio format as per the target player, expected audience, and/or supporting videos or images (if any) is something that needs much consideration to offer a flawless listening experience.

With that said, here you will learn about some of the most common sound file types, which among them could be the best audio format according to your requirements, and a couple of important points that you must keep in might while picking an extension for your media preparations.

• Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats
• Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?
• Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?
• Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Using Filmora to Record & Edit & Save Audio Easily

Wondershare Filmora is a simple yet robust video editing software that allows you to save a video to mp3 easily. Besides, if you want to remove background noise from audio, or change the audio volume or remove unwanted audio parts from the video, you should definitely try Filmora.

---

Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats

Before listing the most common audio file formats, it is important to understand the categories of the sound files. Every audio format that exists belongs to one (or more) category depending on the way it is being created and the characteristics it has.

In a nutshell, there are three major categories, including:

• Uncompressed Audio Format
• Lossless Compressed Audio Format
• Lossy Compressed Audio Format

Below is a brief introduction of each of the classes listed above along with the audio file types that belong to them:

1. Uncompressed Audio Format

Uncompressed audio is the original sound that has been recorded directly from the source in the analog form, and then converted to a digital signal without any modifications or compressions. Because an uncompressed sound is prepared with no retouching or manipulations, it gives an as-is listening experience. Since no compression is done on such a file either, it occupies a remarkably huge amount of space on your storage media.

Some sound files that fall under this category include:

1) Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM)

A PCM file is the digital version of an analog waveform that is created by recording the audio samples, technically known as pulses. The PCM format is mostly used when creating optical media discs, typically the CDs and DVDs.

2) Waveform Audio File Format (WAV)

Generally used on the Windows platform, this audio format is not a file itself but a container that may contain both compressed or uncompressed files. However, in most cases, it is the latter that a WAV file has, and PCM format is one of them.

You may also interest: YouTube to WAV >>

3) Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)

AIFF is almost identical to WAV format in its characteristics with the only difference that, unlike the latter, it was developed by Apple somewhere in 1988, and works as a container for both compressed and uncompressed audio files. While the compressed version of the format is called AIFF-C, the term Apple Loop is used when the scenario is otherwise. As it is with WAV, even AIFF files mostly contain uncompressed audio, that usually is PCM.

You may also like: Best AIFF to MP3 Converters >>

4) Data Stream Digital (DSD)

Used by Sony and Phillips, DSD is also not a format itself but a container that can store PCM files to provide decent sound quality. However, due to distortions in the composed audio, DSD files are not much in trend.

2. Lossless Compressed Audio Format

Lossless Compressed audio format is a type of file that is compressed using some advanced methods without compromising with the quality of the sound. This means that when played, you experience the same acoustic excellence as that of the source, i.e. uncompressed audio. However, even though the lossless compressed files are comparatively small in size, they still occupy decent amount of space on the hard drive or any other storage media in use.

Some formats that fall under the lossless compressed category include:

1) Free Lossless Audio Code (FLAC)

At around half the size of the source sound file, FLAC offers the original audio quality without removing any acoustic information during compression. Being an opensource and royalty-free audio format, FLAC is even easier to get, and in most cases is used as an alternative to MP3.

Check some of the best FLAC editor programs >>

2) Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)

Introduced by Apple Inc. and initially released as a proprietary product, ALAC was made royalty-free and opensource in 2011. Even though ALAC files are larger in size when compared to FLAC, the former format is used in iTunes and iOS as the latter isn’t supported by these platforms.

3. Lossy Compressed Audio Format

These are the highly compressed files that occupy significantly less amount of space on your storage media. However, during the compression process, some acoustic information is lost in order to reduce the file size. Nevertheless, if compressed correctly, the deterioration in the quality is almost negligible, and cannot be experienced unless the listener is quite experienced and the source recording is played next to the compressed audio simultaneously.

Some audio formats that fall under the lossy compressed category include:

1) MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)

This is one of the most common file types and the best audio format for almost all media types that have sound. An MP3 file is free from the noises of the least significant in the composed audio. In addition, all the acoustic information with the frequency that normal human beings fail to catch (below 20Hz and above 20000Hz) is safely erased during compilation and compression. Furthermore, what makes MP3 the best audio file format is its ability to accommodate with almost all the devices of nearly any platform such as Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, etc.

Check this MP3 editor and convert video to MP3 easily.

2) OGG

This one, again, is not in fact an audio format but is a container for audio that generally stores Vorbis files. Although OGG files are way advanced in terms of sound quality and even offer higher compression ratio when compared with MP3, they are not much in use as many platforms and devices don’t support the format till date.

3) AU

AU is a format by Sun, DEC, and NeXT. It is yet another container that can hold both lossless and lossy files. AU files are mostly used in UNIX.

What’s the difference between common audio file formats like MP3, WAV, and FLAC? Watch the video below to learn more.

---

Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?

If you are a media creator, and are into the business of preparing audio and video content for your clients or directly for the audience, it is imperative to understand what could be the best audio file format to compose the audiovisual files. Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind in this context before proceeding:

• Uncompressed Audio

If the media type you are about to create is expected to be used for further editing before exporting to a different format, using an uncompressed audio format would be best as it offers a smooth and flawless post-production experience without giving much overhead to the processor.

• Lossless Compressed Audio

If your audiences own highly sophisticated audio players with Hi-Fi speaker systems, and they are also good at recognizing and understanding the differences between poor and optimal audio quality, using lossless compressed audio format would be a good choice as it gives decent sound quality in smaller file size.

• Compressed Audio

If you are preparing a media for home users and casual listeners, you can safely use an audio format that has been prepared using a higher compression ratio. In such a scenario, MP3 is the best audio format that not only offers the decent sound quality, it also occupies less amount of space on your storage media, thus enabling you to save more files at a given time.

Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?

At the time of this writing, YouTube supports two types of formats namely MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. Although both of these are video containers, they also hold audio files. Details about both these types are as follows:

• MPEG-2
  • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above
  • Audio Codec: Dolby AC-3 or MPEG Layer II
• MPEG-4
  • **Video Codec:**264
  • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above

Since many people nowadays produce videos in MP4 due to its wide range of supported devices and players and the fact that the container is used by majority of users worldwide, MPEG-4 with audio format could be mostly seen on YouTube.

Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Being one of the most versatile post-production tools preferred by many professional editors worldwide, Filmora comes with a variety of audio formats from all the three categories discussed above. Furthermore, Filmora also displays relevant information about each of the file types it offers.

The following table shows a list of formats and the details that Filmora supports:

Video Format	Corresponding Audio Encoder	Audio Type
MP4	Lossy Compressed
WMV	WMA8, WMA9	Uncompressed
AVI	MP3, PCM	Lossy Compressed, Uncompressed
MOV	Lossy Compressed
F4V	Lossy Compressed
MKV	MP3	Lossy Compressed
TS	MPEG-2 Audio	Lossy Compressed
3GP	Lossy Compressed
MPEG-2	MPEG-2 Audio	Lossy Compressed
WEBM	Vorbis	Lossy Compressed

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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