Critical Appraisal of Sound Forge: Pros, Cons, and Potentials

In the music industry, the audio content version has changed drastically. As a result, music production and marketing are growing faster than ever, and only those with proper, updated tools and skills are capable of surviving in this era.

Audio editing tools are in demand for different purposes, such as adding effects to audio and removing pauses from a webinar session. Choosing an audio editor depends on many factors, such as price range, the purpose of using an editor, and skill level. The best editing program can help you get the best audio finishing - MAGIX Sound Forge.

If you are new to the music industry or a professional searching for an audio editor, this article will help you learn everything about Sound Forge.

Part 1. A Quick Verdict of Sound Forge

Sound Forge is one of the best software for professionals, beginners, and enthusiasts due to its simple and essential restoration tools that can help remove unnecessary background noises. However, this music software can remove 70% of the noise, leaving some cracks and pops, but still, users get a lot of improvement in the audio quality.

You can record and extract audio from video files. The customizable toolbars, interfaces, and a wide variety of presets give you a complete audio editing experience with Sound Forge.

The only drawback is that the software cannot handle multiple audio files and plugin effects together in the free version, making it useless for batch processing. However, you can get these features in the paid version.

Part 2. What is Sound Forge?

Sound Forge is an audio editor for newbies and professionals and has two versions, i.e., Sound Forge pro 12 and Sound Forge Audio Studio 13, released in April 2018 and January 2019, respectively. Although the software was developed in the US, MAGIX is doing further developments, so you get American originality and German modifications in one program.

The innovative features such as fast and powerful processing, editing, and workflow are why many producers, including Grammy winners, have chosen this tool globally for the past 20 years.

MAGIX has developed the latest version of this software, Sound Forge Pro 16 suite , setting new audio quality standards with advanced plug-ins.

Part 3. MAGIX Sound Forge 16 Review

Now that you know about Sound Forge and its origin, let’s review the software regarding price, features, and user ratings.

How much does Sound Forge cost?

Sound Forge is a paid software but excellent value for money and offers a wide range of features and plug-ins that make audio editing fun and easy.

The different versions are available at different pricing, and monthly or yearly subscriptions are also available.

Sound Forge Audio Studio 365 is available at 3-5$ per month per year with a starting price of 60$. Sound Forge Pro is available for 279$, Sound Forge Pro Suite for 399$, Sound Forge Pro 365 for 14.99$ per month, and Sound Forge Pro Suite 365 for 19.99$ per month.

Innovative features of Sound Forge

Here are some unique Sound Forge features that make it ideal for audio editing needs.

• Professional and Comprehensive audio editing: The improved workflow of the software allows you to edit, splice, and adjust audio files with just a few clicks and deliver a professional audio finish as precisely as you want.
• Audio restoration: Sound Forge restores vinyl and tapes into digital audio such as CDs, transforming outdated sound into exceptional studio quality. However, you need to have a vinyl converter turntable for this purpose.The Audio Studio version lacks the audio restoration plugins that the Pro Studio version offer.
• Recording any sound up to 32-bit/384 kHz: With Sound Forge, you can record podcasts, singing, webinars, and do a voice-over up to 32-bit/384 kHz and view the process with a live waveform display and real-time monitoring.
• Effects and effects presets: Sound Forge provide 11 DirectX audio effects and 90 effects preset to get the right sound for you. Furthermore, the software can let you preview the effects before applying them to your audio recordings.
• Import and export audio file: You can import or export any audio file into standard (MP3, FLAC, WAV, RAW, ASF, CDA, AIFF, VOX, OGG, MUS, and W64) formats with Sound Forge Audio Studio 16.

Score on G2

The overall G2 (a famous software review website) rating of Sound Forge is 4.3 out of 5. Users rated the software on the G2 platform as:

• 4 for “Ease of use
• 4 for “Quality Support
• 9 for “Ease of Setup

To help you have a better overview of MAGIX Sound Forge 16, we have prepared a review video below.

Video - New Features and Workflows of MAGIX Sound Forge 16

Part 4. Pros and Cons of MAGIX Sound Forge

Below are some Sound Forge pros and cons to help you make a quick decision about the software.

Pros of Sound Forge

• User-friendly: The top-notch software comes with a user-friendly interface, making it easy to learn and simple to control for beginners in the audio editing field.
• Compatibility: The high-quality audio software solution is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems.
• Customizable software: Sound Forge is the most customizable software, offering customization of toolbars to get the exact tools you need and letting you change audio editing windows arrangement.
• Support VST plugin: Sound Forge supports the VST plugin that is used to integrate software audio effects and effect plugins to help you create a more compelling final product.

Cons of Sound Forge

• No Batch Processing: one main drawback of Sound Forge is that it cannot do batch processing, making it useless to process multiple audio files and plug-ins together.
• Noise reduction/ Noise cancellation: The software does not do much for noise reduction; its “Noise Gate Technology” distort the recording instead of filtering the noise.

Part 5. MAGIX Sound Forge vs. Audacity

Both Sound Forge and Audacity are audio editing and mixing software. By comparing their features, you can get an idea to which one to use for your audio editing projects.

What is Audacity?

Audacity is free and open-source software developed by Dominic Mazzoni and Roger Dannenberg and released on May 28, 2000. In April 2021, Muse group acquired the Audacity trademark but kept the application free and open source.

Audacity offers a great variety of features, such as a playback/record tool, editing options, and a wide range of effects that help professionals to adjust soundtracks, import and export audio files in any standard format, and analyze sound frequencies.

Comparing Sound Forge and Audacity

Features	Sound Forge	Audacity
Price/ Value for money	4.7/5	4.5/5
Compatibility	Windows and Mac	Windows and Mac
Ease of Use	8.4/10	8.4/10
Advanced Features	DynamicEQLoudness visualizationOptimized multichannel workflow	Multiple tracksAuto audio duckingBackground noise removalAudio filters
Scores on G2	4.3/5	4.5/5

Our Recommendations

Due to the advanced features and high scores on G2, we recommend using Audacity. However, other factors always come into play as the audio editing demands and needs change with time. So, Sound Forge can be a good option for you as a nomad in the music editing industry.

Most companies (with 50-200 employees and 1M-10M revenue) and the higher education industry in the United States are using Sound Forge.

On the other hand, businesses often use Audacity for marketing purposes, such as making Podcasts. The software can record audio for PowerPoint presentations to help visually impaired employees.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve introduced Sound Forge, its price, the software’s features, and what the users think about it. Later in the guide, we compared Sound Forge with one of the leading music editors, Audacity, and learned how they stack up against each other.

Hopefully, you can now decide better about choosing a music editing software for your audio recording and editing needs.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 4. Pros and Cons of MAGIX Sound Forge

Below are some Sound Forge pros and cons to help you make a quick decision about the software.

Pros of Sound Forge

• User-friendly: The top-notch software comes with a user-friendly interface, making it easy to learn and simple to control for beginners in the audio editing field.
• Compatibility: The high-quality audio software solution is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems.
• Customizable software: Sound Forge is the most customizable software, offering customization of toolbars to get the exact tools you need and letting you change audio editing windows arrangement.
• Support VST plugin: Sound Forge supports the VST plugin that is used to integrate software audio effects and effect plugins to help you create a more compelling final product.

Cons of Sound Forge

• No Batch Processing: one main drawback of Sound Forge is that it cannot do batch processing, making it useless to process multiple audio files and plug-ins together.
• Noise reduction/ Noise cancellation: The software does not do much for noise reduction; its “Noise Gate Technology” distort the recording instead of filtering the noise.

Part 5. MAGIX Sound Forge vs. Audacity

Both Sound Forge and Audacity are audio editing and mixing software. By comparing their features, you can get an idea to which one to use for your audio editing projects.

What is Audacity?

Audacity is free and open-source software developed by Dominic Mazzoni and Roger Dannenberg and released on May 28, 2000. In April 2021, Muse group acquired the Audacity trademark but kept the application free and open source.

Audacity offers a great variety of features, such as a playback/record tool, editing options, and a wide range of effects that help professionals to adjust soundtracks, import and export audio files in any standard format, and analyze sound frequencies.

Comparing Sound Forge and Audacity

Features	Sound Forge	Audacity
Price/ Value for money	4.7/5	4.5/5
Compatibility	Windows and Mac	Windows and Mac
Ease of Use	8.4/10	8.4/10
Advanced Features	DynamicEQLoudness visualizationOptimized multichannel workflow	Multiple tracksAuto audio duckingBackground noise removalAudio filters
Scores on G2	4.3/5	4.5/5

Our Recommendations

Due to the advanced features and high scores on G2, we recommend using Audacity. However, other factors always come into play as the audio editing demands and needs change with time. So, Sound Forge can be a good option for you as a nomad in the music editing industry.

Most companies (with 50-200 employees and 1M-10M revenue) and the higher education industry in the United States are using Sound Forge.

On the other hand, businesses often use Audacity for marketing purposes, such as making Podcasts. The software can record audio for PowerPoint presentations to help visually impaired employees.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve introduced Sound Forge, its price, the software’s features, and what the users think about it. Later in the guide, we compared Sound Forge with one of the leading music editors, Audacity, and learned how they stack up against each other.

Hopefully, you can now decide better about choosing a music editing software for your audio recording and editing needs.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

The Role of Dissonant Harmonies and Pacing in Creating Film Music Suspense

Are you a scriptwriter? Are you into dark and mystery movies? The article will surely make you curious!

The filmmakers test different kinds of music for mystery, horror, and thrill-based genre. However, the suspense music takes the lead with its unique dynamics. A suspense background music is everything that takes the people on edge.

The article shall present an insight into the suspense music works in movies and films. A guide to using the music better in an intense environment will also be included. Stay tuned to know three workable platforms to download royalty-free suspense background music. So, let us start?

In this article

01 How Does Suspense Music Work in Film?

02 Tips to Better Use Suspense Music to Create Suspenseful Atmosphere to the Film

03 3 Trendy Sites to Download Royalty Free Suspense Music

Part 1: How Does Suspense Music Work in Film?

It is crucial to understand how suspense music works in the film, especially for beginners. Most movie makers do not know how to build the tension and drop it. The carefully planned dynamics are your way to great mystery output.

The dynamics of the intense music are used to lower the volume and then burst out the music and reveal the big secret. A perfect balance between tension and revulsion creates a more powerful storyline and impacts the audience.

The first factor, tension, is always built slowly and steadily. The suspense background music is deployed in such a situation. Revulsion, on the other hand, is the next moment. It is when the monster is out of the closet. It is the revelation of the big secret of the movie. If tension is the suspenseful music, the revulsion is where horror music comes over.

The right balance between the two soundtracks will mark the success of your upcoming thriller. If the tension lasts longer, the audience breaks it on their own. It often occurs through a joke or breaking silence. Similarly, if the revulsion cues in soon, there is not enough time to build the fear.

For instance, the Main Theme from “Gravity” establishes volume and tension until the movie’s climax is reached. Similarly, “Braveheart” uses extensive crescendos to create an intense thriller aura. Most directors always use dissonance to establish a hype. The film “Planet of the Apes” used a mix of soothing and disturbing tones to make the audience uncomfortable.

In such a situation, you can use metal scraping with creepy laughter. The process will be concluded with a hint of echo and reverb for a scary vibe. The sound design is yet another way to build fear. The video game known as “Fall Out” used echoing music to leave a creepy impression.

Part 2: Tips to Better Use Suspense Music to Create Suspenseful Atmosphere to the Film

Are you a filmmaker? Do you own a production house? Or do you wish to create engaging yet horror content?

With the creative industry blooming extensively, the competition between different production houses is enhancing. It is important to stay one step ahead by making correct suspense music. The sub-section recommends some tips to establish an intense atmosphere in the scenes.

Crescendos and False Crescendos

A functional tip to create cinematic suspense is by using crescendos. This suspense music continues to develop until the climax is reached. The intense music is gradually built until a startling scream is heard.

Similarly, the false crescendos come with a twist. Instead of hearing a startling scream or a murder, people hear an uncomfortable silence that reveals nothing. It messes up with the audience big time. Don’t you agree?

Repetition

Repetition is yet another technique to create a promising suspenseful aura. The same bundle of chords is repeated, establishing a rhythmic tension. A predictable pattern emphasizes the song and storyline. Additionally, the sudden chord change can be incorporated to release the hype or create a new phase.

Dissonance

The sound of two or more inharmonious notes develops a dissonant effect. It makes the audience uncomfortable and sends a creepy vibe down the spine. The process of switching between soothing and mysterious sounds keeps the viewers on edge. The dissonant note pairings are extensively used in horror and video films.

Dynamics

Dynamics is one of the most practiced tricks in the industry to create the needed effect. For starters, the suspense background music is enhanced. The improved pitch takes the audience towards the anticipation of the climax. After that, the chord progression hits the crescendo. The release and silence are a part of the effective dynamics of a movie.

Part 3: 3 Trendy Sites to Download Royalty Free Suspense Music

After the discussion, one understands the need for suspense music to get the task done. But the next question might confuse the beginners. Where to get suspense background music from? Do not worry as we have got you! The part would mention some platforms to access royalty-free suspense music. Let us have a glimpse, shall we?

Chosic

The first trendy website is Chosic taking the lead in the world. This renowned website changes the search results as needed. Isn’t that the goal? The suspense music includes Sanctuary, The Epic Hero, Misery, Countdown, and Walking Shoes. There are different tags present below the track to refine the process.

The tags include suspense, cinematic, mystery, epic, documentary, horror, dark, and drama. Chosic can be counted upon for music that creates a dynamic sense of stressful feelings. It leads to keeping the audience on edge.

Pixabay

Pixabay is considered the most established platform with various music themes, moods, and genres. Similarly, you can use it to find some phenomenal suspense music that compels the audience to stick to their screens. The advanced use of filters makes the search easy and navigation flawless.

The tags below the tag offer variety and relevancy and limits nuisance. The arrow beside “Download” can be clicked to find significant information. For instance, the number of likes, favorites, and times the track was played.

The song is saved in the system in MP3 format. Moreover, the suspense background music choices are intense and creepy. Examples include Caves of Dawn, Under pressure, Fantasy Epic, Epic Magic, A New Perspective, and Drone.

Mixkit

Mixkit has got to be the perfect marketplace of the lot. With more than 37 suspense music sound effects, this promising marketplace presents royalty-free music in great quality. The user can listen to the music, make up their mind, and download it.

Some Mixkit suspense background music examples include Violin Suspense Pass, Reverse Suspense, Cartoon Suspense, Cinematic Suspense Swell, and whatnot.

Final Thoughts

With the GDP of each industry improving by leaps and bounds, the creative industry is equally blooming. The suspense, mystery, thriller, horror, and dark film genres use suspense music to leave the audience in shock and fear.

Hence, the article focused on the workability of suspense background music and tips to use in the films. The major platform to download the cinematic music was also mentioned for the user’s guide.

02 Tips to Better Use Suspense Music to Create Suspenseful Atmosphere to the Film

03 3 Trendy Sites to Download Royalty Free Suspense Music

Part 1: How Does Suspense Music Work in Film?

It is crucial to understand how suspense music works in the film, especially for beginners. Most movie makers do not know how to build the tension and drop it. The carefully planned dynamics are your way to great mystery output.

The dynamics of the intense music are used to lower the volume and then burst out the music and reveal the big secret. A perfect balance between tension and revulsion creates a more powerful storyline and impacts the audience.

The first factor, tension, is always built slowly and steadily. The suspense background music is deployed in such a situation. Revulsion, on the other hand, is the next moment. It is when the monster is out of the closet. It is the revelation of the big secret of the movie. If tension is the suspenseful music, the revulsion is where horror music comes over.

The right balance between the two soundtracks will mark the success of your upcoming thriller. If the tension lasts longer, the audience breaks it on their own. It often occurs through a joke or breaking silence. Similarly, if the revulsion cues in soon, there is not enough time to build the fear.

For instance, the Main Theme from “Gravity” establishes volume and tension until the movie’s climax is reached. Similarly, “Braveheart” uses extensive crescendos to create an intense thriller aura. Most directors always use dissonance to establish a hype. The film “Planet of the Apes” used a mix of soothing and disturbing tones to make the audience uncomfortable.

In such a situation, you can use metal scraping with creepy laughter. The process will be concluded with a hint of echo and reverb for a scary vibe. The sound design is yet another way to build fear. The video game known as “Fall Out” used echoing music to leave a creepy impression.

Part 2: Tips to Better Use Suspense Music to Create Suspenseful Atmosphere to the Film

Are you a filmmaker? Do you own a production house? Or do you wish to create engaging yet horror content?

With the creative industry blooming extensively, the competition between different production houses is enhancing. It is important to stay one step ahead by making correct suspense music. The sub-section recommends some tips to establish an intense atmosphere in the scenes.

Crescendos and False Crescendos

A functional tip to create cinematic suspense is by using crescendos. This suspense music continues to develop until the climax is reached. The intense music is gradually built until a startling scream is heard.

Similarly, the false crescendos come with a twist. Instead of hearing a startling scream or a murder, people hear an uncomfortable silence that reveals nothing. It messes up with the audience big time. Don’t you agree?

Repetition

Repetition is yet another technique to create a promising suspenseful aura. The same bundle of chords is repeated, establishing a rhythmic tension. A predictable pattern emphasizes the song and storyline. Additionally, the sudden chord change can be incorporated to release the hype or create a new phase.

Dissonance

The sound of two or more inharmonious notes develops a dissonant effect. It makes the audience uncomfortable and sends a creepy vibe down the spine. The process of switching between soothing and mysterious sounds keeps the viewers on edge. The dissonant note pairings are extensively used in horror and video films.

Dynamics

Dynamics is one of the most practiced tricks in the industry to create the needed effect. For starters, the suspense background music is enhanced. The improved pitch takes the audience towards the anticipation of the climax. After that, the chord progression hits the crescendo. The release and silence are a part of the effective dynamics of a movie.

Part 3: 3 Trendy Sites to Download Royalty Free Suspense Music

After the discussion, one understands the need for suspense music to get the task done. But the next question might confuse the beginners. Where to get suspense background music from? Do not worry as we have got you! The part would mention some platforms to access royalty-free suspense music. Let us have a glimpse, shall we?

Chosic

The first trendy website is Chosic taking the lead in the world. This renowned website changes the search results as needed. Isn’t that the goal? The suspense music includes Sanctuary, The Epic Hero, Misery, Countdown, and Walking Shoes. There are different tags present below the track to refine the process.

The tags include suspense, cinematic, mystery, epic, documentary, horror, dark, and drama. Chosic can be counted upon for music that creates a dynamic sense of stressful feelings. It leads to keeping the audience on edge.

Pixabay

Pixabay is considered the most established platform with various music themes, moods, and genres. Similarly, you can use it to find some phenomenal suspense music that compels the audience to stick to their screens. The advanced use of filters makes the search easy and navigation flawless.

The tags below the tag offer variety and relevancy and limits nuisance. The arrow beside “Download” can be clicked to find significant information. For instance, the number of likes, favorites, and times the track was played.

The song is saved in the system in MP3 format. Moreover, the suspense background music choices are intense and creepy. Examples include Caves of Dawn, Under pressure, Fantasy Epic, Epic Magic, A New Perspective, and Drone.

Mixkit

Mixkit has got to be the perfect marketplace of the lot. With more than 37 suspense music sound effects, this promising marketplace presents royalty-free music in great quality. The user can listen to the music, make up their mind, and download it.

Some Mixkit suspense background music examples include Violin Suspense Pass, Reverse Suspense, Cartoon Suspense, Cinematic Suspense Swell, and whatnot.

Final Thoughts

With the GDP of each industry improving by leaps and bounds, the creative industry is equally blooming. The suspense, mystery, thriller, horror, and dark film genres use suspense music to leave the audience in shock and fear.

Hence, the article focused on the workability of suspense background music and tips to use in the films. The major platform to download the cinematic music was also mentioned for the user’s guide.

02 Tips to Better Use Suspense Music to Create Suspenseful Atmosphere to the Film

03 3 Trendy Sites to Download Royalty Free Suspense Music

Part 1: How Does Suspense Music Work in Film?

It is crucial to understand how suspense music works in the film, especially for beginners. Most movie makers do not know how to build the tension and drop it. The carefully planned dynamics are your way to great mystery output.

The dynamics of the intense music are used to lower the volume and then burst out the music and reveal the big secret. A perfect balance between tension and revulsion creates a more powerful storyline and impacts the audience.

The first factor, tension, is always built slowly and steadily. The suspense background music is deployed in such a situation. Revulsion, on the other hand, is the next moment. It is when the monster is out of the closet. It is the revelation of the big secret of the movie. If tension is the suspenseful music, the revulsion is where horror music comes over.

The right balance between the two soundtracks will mark the success of your upcoming thriller. If the tension lasts longer, the audience breaks it on their own. It often occurs through a joke or breaking silence. Similarly, if the revulsion cues in soon, there is not enough time to build the fear.

For instance, the Main Theme from “Gravity” establishes volume and tension until the movie’s climax is reached. Similarly, “Braveheart” uses extensive crescendos to create an intense thriller aura. Most directors always use dissonance to establish a hype. The film “Planet of the Apes” used a mix of soothing and disturbing tones to make the audience uncomfortable.

In such a situation, you can use metal scraping with creepy laughter. The process will be concluded with a hint of echo and reverb for a scary vibe. The sound design is yet another way to build fear. The video game known as “Fall Out” used echoing music to leave a creepy impression.

Part 2: Tips to Better Use Suspense Music to Create Suspenseful Atmosphere to the Film

Are you a filmmaker? Do you own a production house? Or do you wish to create engaging yet horror content?

With the creative industry blooming extensively, the competition between different production houses is enhancing. It is important to stay one step ahead by making correct suspense music. The sub-section recommends some tips to establish an intense atmosphere in the scenes.

Crescendos and False Crescendos

A functional tip to create cinematic suspense is by using crescendos. This suspense music continues to develop until the climax is reached. The intense music is gradually built until a startling scream is heard.

Similarly, the false crescendos come with a twist. Instead of hearing a startling scream or a murder, people hear an uncomfortable silence that reveals nothing. It messes up with the audience big time. Don’t you agree?

Repetition

Repetition is yet another technique to create a promising suspenseful aura. The same bundle of chords is repeated, establishing a rhythmic tension. A predictable pattern emphasizes the song and storyline. Additionally, the sudden chord change can be incorporated to release the hype or create a new phase.

Dissonance

The sound of two or more inharmonious notes develops a dissonant effect. It makes the audience uncomfortable and sends a creepy vibe down the spine. The process of switching between soothing and mysterious sounds keeps the viewers on edge. The dissonant note pairings are extensively used in horror and video films.

Dynamics

Dynamics is one of the most practiced tricks in the industry to create the needed effect. For starters, the suspense background music is enhanced. The improved pitch takes the audience towards the anticipation of the climax. After that, the chord progression hits the crescendo. The release and silence are a part of the effective dynamics of a movie.

Part 3: 3 Trendy Sites to Download Royalty Free Suspense Music

After the discussion, one understands the need for suspense music to get the task done. But the next question might confuse the beginners. Where to get suspense background music from? Do not worry as we have got you! The part would mention some platforms to access royalty-free suspense music. Let us have a glimpse, shall we?

Chosic

The first trendy website is Chosic taking the lead in the world. This renowned website changes the search results as needed. Isn’t that the goal? The suspense music includes Sanctuary, The Epic Hero, Misery, Countdown, and Walking Shoes. There are different tags present below the track to refine the process.

The tags include suspense, cinematic, mystery, epic, documentary, horror, dark, and drama. Chosic can be counted upon for music that creates a dynamic sense of stressful feelings. It leads to keeping the audience on edge.

Pixabay

Pixabay is considered the most established platform with various music themes, moods, and genres. Similarly, you can use it to find some phenomenal suspense music that compels the audience to stick to their screens. The advanced use of filters makes the search easy and navigation flawless.

The tags below the tag offer variety and relevancy and limits nuisance. The arrow beside “Download” can be clicked to find significant information. For instance, the number of likes, favorites, and times the track was played.

The song is saved in the system in MP3 format. Moreover, the suspense background music choices are intense and creepy. Examples include Caves of Dawn, Under pressure, Fantasy Epic, Epic Magic, A New Perspective, and Drone.

Mixkit

Mixkit has got to be the perfect marketplace of the lot. With more than 37 suspense music sound effects, this promising marketplace presents royalty-free music in great quality. The user can listen to the music, make up their mind, and download it.

Some Mixkit suspense background music examples include Violin Suspense Pass, Reverse Suspense, Cartoon Suspense, Cinematic Suspense Swell, and whatnot.

Final Thoughts

With the GDP of each industry improving by leaps and bounds, the creative industry is equally blooming. The suspense, mystery, thriller, horror, and dark film genres use suspense music to leave the audience in shock and fear.

Hence, the article focused on the workability of suspense background music and tips to use in the films. The major platform to download the cinematic music was also mentioned for the user’s guide.

02 Tips to Better Use Suspense Music to Create Suspenseful Atmosphere to the Film

03 3 Trendy Sites to Download Royalty Free Suspense Music

Part 1: How Does Suspense Music Work in Film?

It is crucial to understand how suspense music works in the film, especially for beginners. Most movie makers do not know how to build the tension and drop it. The carefully planned dynamics are your way to great mystery output.

The dynamics of the intense music are used to lower the volume and then burst out the music and reveal the big secret. A perfect balance between tension and revulsion creates a more powerful storyline and impacts the audience.

The first factor, tension, is always built slowly and steadily. The suspense background music is deployed in such a situation. Revulsion, on the other hand, is the next moment. It is when the monster is out of the closet. It is the revelation of the big secret of the movie. If tension is the suspenseful music, the revulsion is where horror music comes over.

The right balance between the two soundtracks will mark the success of your upcoming thriller. If the tension lasts longer, the audience breaks it on their own. It often occurs through a joke or breaking silence. Similarly, if the revulsion cues in soon, there is not enough time to build the fear.

For instance, the Main Theme from “Gravity” establishes volume and tension until the movie’s climax is reached. Similarly, “Braveheart” uses extensive crescendos to create an intense thriller aura. Most directors always use dissonance to establish a hype. The film “Planet of the Apes” used a mix of soothing and disturbing tones to make the audience uncomfortable.

In such a situation, you can use metal scraping with creepy laughter. The process will be concluded with a hint of echo and reverb for a scary vibe. The sound design is yet another way to build fear. The video game known as “Fall Out” used echoing music to leave a creepy impression.

Part 2: Tips to Better Use Suspense Music to Create Suspenseful Atmosphere to the Film

Are you a filmmaker? Do you own a production house? Or do you wish to create engaging yet horror content?

With the creative industry blooming extensively, the competition between different production houses is enhancing. It is important to stay one step ahead by making correct suspense music. The sub-section recommends some tips to establish an intense atmosphere in the scenes.

Crescendos and False Crescendos

A functional tip to create cinematic suspense is by using crescendos. This suspense music continues to develop until the climax is reached. The intense music is gradually built until a startling scream is heard.

Similarly, the false crescendos come with a twist. Instead of hearing a startling scream or a murder, people hear an uncomfortable silence that reveals nothing. It messes up with the audience big time. Don’t you agree?

Repetition

Repetition is yet another technique to create a promising suspenseful aura. The same bundle of chords is repeated, establishing a rhythmic tension. A predictable pattern emphasizes the song and storyline. Additionally, the sudden chord change can be incorporated to release the hype or create a new phase.

Dissonance

The sound of two or more inharmonious notes develops a dissonant effect. It makes the audience uncomfortable and sends a creepy vibe down the spine. The process of switching between soothing and mysterious sounds keeps the viewers on edge. The dissonant note pairings are extensively used in horror and video films.

Dynamics

Dynamics is one of the most practiced tricks in the industry to create the needed effect. For starters, the suspense background music is enhanced. The improved pitch takes the audience towards the anticipation of the climax. After that, the chord progression hits the crescendo. The release and silence are a part of the effective dynamics of a movie.

Part 3: 3 Trendy Sites to Download Royalty Free Suspense Music

After the discussion, one understands the need for suspense music to get the task done. But the next question might confuse the beginners. Where to get suspense background music from? Do not worry as we have got you! The part would mention some platforms to access royalty-free suspense music. Let us have a glimpse, shall we?

Chosic

The first trendy website is Chosic taking the lead in the world. This renowned website changes the search results as needed. Isn’t that the goal? The suspense music includes Sanctuary, The Epic Hero, Misery, Countdown, and Walking Shoes. There are different tags present below the track to refine the process.

The tags include suspense, cinematic, mystery, epic, documentary, horror, dark, and drama. Chosic can be counted upon for music that creates a dynamic sense of stressful feelings. It leads to keeping the audience on edge.

Pixabay

Pixabay is considered the most established platform with various music themes, moods, and genres. Similarly, you can use it to find some phenomenal suspense music that compels the audience to stick to their screens. The advanced use of filters makes the search easy and navigation flawless.

The tags below the tag offer variety and relevancy and limits nuisance. The arrow beside “Download” can be clicked to find significant information. For instance, the number of likes, favorites, and times the track was played.

The song is saved in the system in MP3 format. Moreover, the suspense background music choices are intense and creepy. Examples include Caves of Dawn, Under pressure, Fantasy Epic, Epic Magic, A New Perspective, and Drone.

Mixkit

Mixkit has got to be the perfect marketplace of the lot. With more than 37 suspense music sound effects, this promising marketplace presents royalty-free music in great quality. The user can listen to the music, make up their mind, and download it.

Some Mixkit suspense background music examples include Violin Suspense Pass, Reverse Suspense, Cartoon Suspense, Cinematic Suspense Swell, and whatnot.

Final Thoughts

With the GDP of each industry improving by leaps and bounds, the creative industry is equally blooming. The suspense, mystery, thriller, horror, and dark film genres use suspense music to leave the audience in shock and fear.

Hence, the article focused on the workability of suspense background music and tips to use in the films. The major platform to download the cinematic music was also mentioned for the user’s guide.

Audio Formats Guide: How to Choose Best Audio Formats [Solved]

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.

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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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