Which better aac or mp3

Likewise, the MP3 format also works on any operating system. You should have no problem playing either file type on any device. To examine the differences between the formats, let's compare the song Wild Sage by The Mountain Goats encoded in each format at three different speeds: Kbps, Kbps, and Kbps.

The higher the Kbps, the bigger the file, but the better the quality. The MP3 version is 1. These versions sound a bit muddied compared to the Kbps versions.

The MP3 is almost 1MB smaller. The AAC file is a bit clearer and brighter than the MP3, which suffers from slight muddiness and slurring some sounds together.

The file sizes are almost exactly the same. While there are differences in the sound waves of the files, they sound roughly equivalent to the ear. Though there may be a bit more detail in the Kbps MP3, it's difficult for an untrained ear to discern. The only place you're likely to hear a difference is in the low-end Kbps encodings, which aren't recommended. Most audiophiles who place great value on the best possible sound quality tend to avoid MP3, AAC, and other digital audio formats because these formats use compression to create smaller files.

MP3 competes favorably and is surprisingly robust if you work with an efficient encoder. At high enough bit-rates, you'll hardly notice the difference between these formats and the original files. When compressing audio files to create MP3 or AAC files, developers compromise quality for smaller audio files. You, therefore, end up with smaller audio files, although the AAC tends to be smaller than the MP3 format.

With AAC files, developers can lower bit-rates reducing the files' size further than what MP3 files can achieve. The audio quality for AAC files remains intact in the process.

With this flexibility, you can simultaneously use multiple encoding strategies and compress your files more efficiently. MP3 files can only store two channels of synchronous audio compared to AAC's 48 channels. This specification lets you compress multichannel audio on AAC with less hassle. You'll also have an easier time working with surround sound mixes. The MP3 format, on the other hand, uses a hybrid coding system that comprises the overall encoding process.

MP3's block size of samples further reduces the coding efficiency. AAC uses or samples, further enhancing the encoding. When it comes to the accuracy of transient signals, AAC has the upper hand with the samples block size compared to MP3's sample size.

Do you want to correct the design choices on original MP3 files? The AAC format lets you create audio files with your preferred specifications. As you use your encoder, watch out for the encoding speed which ultimately influences how your track sounds. There is little wonder, therefore, that you won't notice the subtle differences between the MP3 and AAC audio files. Are you looking to distribute your audio files? With no payment or license requirements, AAC is the right choice on this end.

This format is also better for streaming content. MP3 file format owns higher compatibility because almost every music player and device to support to play MP3 format music. However, AAC format may not necessarily play on every device, especially the Android and Windows devices. From this table, if you are an Apple user and have a high-quality requirement and enough storage space, the AAC file format will best suit you. If you are a habit of using Windows or Android, do not have a high requirement for audio quality and limited storage space, the MP3 format will best suit you.

Two media converters are introduced in this part. If you want to get high conversion quality, choose any of them as you like. It is the Windows media converting software that helps make conversions between audio and video files.

If you have many AAC files, so you can apply the batch conversion feature. Meanwhile, the quality of the conversion will not be influenced. Step 1. Next, click "Choose Files" followed by "Audio Converter" to add your target audio files.

Becky has been a full-time staff writer at What Hi-Fi? Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in , she freelanced as an arts critic alongside a year career as a professional dancer and aerialist — any love of dance is of course tethered to a love of music. When not writing, she dances, spins in the air, drinks coffee, watches football or surfs in Cornwall with her other half — a football writer whose talent knows no bounds.

What Hi-Fi? Becky Scarrott. See all comments 7. This is a significant distortion sorry Apple had no part whatsoever in the development of the standard. The standard was established in and was part of the standards for MPEG-2 and subsequently MPEG-4, but was not adopted as an audio-only format until Apple used it as the default standard for iTunes and the iPod.

They definitely popularised it, but they did not invent it or even contribute to its development. You forgot an interesting audio format: Opus. Opus Wikipedia entryOpus codec official site. SeaBee said:. FLAC is great Otherwise it's pretty much the perfect format.

Apple strikes again :rolleyes:.