Sound Formats

Sound Formats Chart
This Chart compares the most common sound formats found on the Web. Click on the icon in the left column of the chart to learn more about a particular format.

Sound format Platforms software required advantages disadvantages

RealAudio
All common platforms RealMedia Player helper app or RealMedia plug-in real-time streaming audio proprietary file format; requires fast modem and computer

Flash
All common platforms Flash plug-in real-time streaming audio, makes use of mp3 audio compression Requires expensive Flash application to compile; requires fast modem and computer

RMF
Mac, Windows 95, 98, Windows NT Beatnik Plug-in interactive sound using Javascript; allows flexible combination of MIDI open file format non-streaming; limited support for audio; no support for Internet Explorer on the Mac

16-bit AIFF

Mac
Windows
plug-in or helper app open file format very large file sizes

8-bit AIFF

Mac
Windows
plug-in or helper app open file format; smaller file sizes than for 16-bit large file sizes
"grainy" sound quality

16-bit QuickTime Mac
Windows QuickTime plug-in or a helper app that plays QuickTime open file format; streaming (with the QuickTime plug-in) very large file sizes

8-bit QuickTime Windows
Mac QuickTime plug-in or a helper app that plays QuickTime open file format; smaller file sizes than for 16-bit; streaming (with the QuickTime plug-in) large file sizes
"grainy" sound quality

16-bit WAV
Windows
Mac plug-in or helper app open file format very large file sizes

8-bit WAV
Windows
Mac plug-in or helper app open file format; smaller file sizes than for 16-bit large file sizes
"grainy" sound quality

u-Law
UNIX
Windows
Mac plug-in or helper app scalable sound quality; open file format very large file sizes

MPEG layer 2 Audio
Windows
Mac QuickTime plug-in or a helper app small file sizes
good sound qual.
real-time playability
open file format not as high quality as mp3

MPEG layer 3 Audio
Windows
Mac QuickTime plug-in, RealAudio plug-in, or any number of helper apps small file sizes
very good sound qual.
real-time playability; ideal for downloading and playing offline
open file format none?

MIDI
Windows with soundcard or MIDI software
Mac with MIDI software or hardware plug-in or helper app open standard
very small file sizes
not strictly "audio", i.e. can only utilize MIDI sounds
sound quality is only as good as MIDI device

QuickTime Music Mac with QuickTime and QT Musical Instruments QTMI and QuickTime plug-in or a helper app that plays QuickTime very small file sizes not strictly "audio", i.e. can only utilize MIDI sounds

Liquid Audio
Windows
Mac Liquid Audio helper app scalable, small file sizes; excellent quality Proprietary format, requires expensive server software

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Sound format	Platforms	software required	advantages	disadvantages
RealAudio	All common platforms	RealMedia Player helper app or RealMedia plug-in	real-time streaming audio	proprietary file format; requires fast modem and computer
Flash	All common platforms	Flash plug-in	real-time streaming audio, makes use of mp3 audio compression	Requires expensive Flash application to compile; requires fast modem and computer
RMF	Mac, Windows 95, 98, Windows NT	Beatnik Plug-in	interactive sound using Javascript; allows flexible combination of MIDI open file format	non-streaming; limited support for audio; no support for Internet Explorer on the Mac
16-bit AIFF	Mac Windows	plug-in or helper app	open file format	very large file sizes
8-bit AIFF	Mac Windows	plug-in or helper app	open file format; smaller file sizes than for 16-bit	large file sizes "grainy" sound quality
16-bit QuickTime	Mac Windows	QuickTime plug-in or a helper app that plays QuickTime	open file format; streaming (with the QuickTime plug-in)	very large file sizes
8-bit QuickTime	Windows Mac	QuickTime plug-in or a helper app that plays QuickTime	open file format; smaller file sizes than for 16-bit; streaming (with the QuickTime plug-in)	large file sizes "grainy" sound quality
16-bit WAV	Windows Mac	plug-in or helper app	open file format	very large file sizes
8-bit WAV	Windows Mac	plug-in or helper app	open file format; smaller file sizes than for 16-bit	large file sizes "grainy" sound quality
u-Law	UNIX Windows Mac	plug-in or helper app	scalable sound quality; open file format	very large file sizes
MPEG layer 2 Audio	Windows Mac	QuickTime plug-in or a helper app	small file sizes good sound qual. real-time playability open file format	not as high quality as mp3
MPEG layer 3 Audio	Windows Mac	QuickTime plug-in, RealAudio plug-in, or any number of helper apps	small file sizes very good sound qual. real-time playability; ideal for downloading and playing offline open file format	none?
MIDI	Windows with soundcard or MIDI software Mac with MIDI software or hardware	plug-in or helper app	open standard very small file sizes	not strictly "audio", i.e. can only utilize MIDI sounds sound quality is only as good as MIDI device
QuickTime Music	Mac with QuickTime and QT Musical Instruments	QTMI and QuickTime plug-in or a helper app that plays QuickTime	very small file sizes	not strictly "audio", i.e. can only utilize MIDI sounds
Liquid Audio	Windows Mac	Liquid Audio helper app	scalable, small file sizes; excellent quality	Proprietary format, requires expensive server software
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