Updated The Audio Experts Manual to Identifying Superior Sound Formats

Updated The Audio Experts Manual to Identifying Superior Sound Formats

David Lv13

The Audio Experts’ Manual to Identifying Superior Sound Formats

How to Choose Best Audio Formats

author avatar

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.

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.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version


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.

 Filmora9 Export Settings

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

author avatar

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.

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.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version


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.

 Filmora9 Export Settings

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

author avatar

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.

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.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version


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.

 Filmora9 Export Settings

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

author avatar

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.

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.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version


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.

 Filmora9 Export Settings

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

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Audio Implementation in AVI-2023 Formats: A Step-by-Step Manual

How to Add Audio to AVI

author avatar

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

With which tool can I add audio in an avi container? Because VDMod, Nandub and Avi-Mux is useless for this process…

Sometimes you may want to add audio to AVI but find many programs don’t support this. So here I recommend a powerful video editing tool –Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) . With it, you can easily add audio to AVI or other video formats such as MP3, WMA, OGG, or FLAC format and save it as a new file. Now download Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) and learn how to combine audio and video using the simple steps below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

1 Add the files to the program

Install and launch Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor). Then import both the AVI file and audio track to this program. To do this, click the “Import” button or directly drag and drop them to the Media Item. Then select these added files and drop them to the corresponding tracks on the timeline panel below. The video file should be placed on the video track and the audio file on the audio track.

remove audio from avi

2 Adjust the audio file

If the video and the soundtrack lengths do not match, you may need to edit the audio. For example, if the audio file is longer than your video, move the slider to the end of the audio, and drag it to fit the length of the video. If the video is longer than the music track, you can copy and paste the audio file and place the copied files side by side on the same track.

If you want to further edit the original audio file, double click it and change the settings of speed, volume, pitch, fade in/out as you like.

Note: if your AVI file already contains an audio track, you should remove it first. To do this, right click the AVI file and choose “Audio Detach” to separate the original audio from video. Then press “Delete” button on the keyboard to remove it.

remove audio track from avi

3 Save the new file

After adding the audio and combining it with the video, you can export it as a new file. Click “Create ” and select “Format” tab. In the output window, select the required format. You can also go to the “Device” tab and export with the ready-made preset for your mobile device. Of course, you can also directly upload it to YouTube for sharing with the world or burn to DVD for playing on home TV.

remove audio from avi file

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to add audio files to video:

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

You may also like: Tutorial of How to Convert YouTube to AVI Using Best Converters >>

author avatar

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

With which tool can I add audio in an avi container? Because VDMod, Nandub and Avi-Mux is useless for this process…

Sometimes you may want to add audio to AVI but find many programs don’t support this. So here I recommend a powerful video editing tool –Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) . With it, you can easily add audio to AVI or other video formats such as MP3, WMA, OGG, or FLAC format and save it as a new file. Now download Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) and learn how to combine audio and video using the simple steps below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

1 Add the files to the program

Install and launch Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor). Then import both the AVI file and audio track to this program. To do this, click the “Import” button or directly drag and drop them to the Media Item. Then select these added files and drop them to the corresponding tracks on the timeline panel below. The video file should be placed on the video track and the audio file on the audio track.

remove audio from avi

2 Adjust the audio file

If the video and the soundtrack lengths do not match, you may need to edit the audio. For example, if the audio file is longer than your video, move the slider to the end of the audio, and drag it to fit the length of the video. If the video is longer than the music track, you can copy and paste the audio file and place the copied files side by side on the same track.

If you want to further edit the original audio file, double click it and change the settings of speed, volume, pitch, fade in/out as you like.

Note: if your AVI file already contains an audio track, you should remove it first. To do this, right click the AVI file and choose “Audio Detach” to separate the original audio from video. Then press “Delete” button on the keyboard to remove it.

remove audio track from avi

3 Save the new file

After adding the audio and combining it with the video, you can export it as a new file. Click “Create ” and select “Format” tab. In the output window, select the required format. You can also go to the “Device” tab and export with the ready-made preset for your mobile device. Of course, you can also directly upload it to YouTube for sharing with the world or burn to DVD for playing on home TV.

remove audio from avi file

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to add audio files to video:

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

You may also like: Tutorial of How to Convert YouTube to AVI Using Best Converters >>

author avatar

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

With which tool can I add audio in an avi container? Because VDMod, Nandub and Avi-Mux is useless for this process…

Sometimes you may want to add audio to AVI but find many programs don’t support this. So here I recommend a powerful video editing tool –Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) . With it, you can easily add audio to AVI or other video formats such as MP3, WMA, OGG, or FLAC format and save it as a new file. Now download Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) and learn how to combine audio and video using the simple steps below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

1 Add the files to the program

Install and launch Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor). Then import both the AVI file and audio track to this program. To do this, click the “Import” button or directly drag and drop them to the Media Item. Then select these added files and drop them to the corresponding tracks on the timeline panel below. The video file should be placed on the video track and the audio file on the audio track.

remove audio from avi

2 Adjust the audio file

If the video and the soundtrack lengths do not match, you may need to edit the audio. For example, if the audio file is longer than your video, move the slider to the end of the audio, and drag it to fit the length of the video. If the video is longer than the music track, you can copy and paste the audio file and place the copied files side by side on the same track.

If you want to further edit the original audio file, double click it and change the settings of speed, volume, pitch, fade in/out as you like.

Note: if your AVI file already contains an audio track, you should remove it first. To do this, right click the AVI file and choose “Audio Detach” to separate the original audio from video. Then press “Delete” button on the keyboard to remove it.

remove audio track from avi

3 Save the new file

After adding the audio and combining it with the video, you can export it as a new file. Click “Create ” and select “Format” tab. In the output window, select the required format. You can also go to the “Device” tab and export with the ready-made preset for your mobile device. Of course, you can also directly upload it to YouTube for sharing with the world or burn to DVD for playing on home TV.

remove audio from avi file

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to add audio files to video:

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

You may also like: Tutorial of How to Convert YouTube to AVI Using Best Converters >>

author avatar

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

With which tool can I add audio in an avi container? Because VDMod, Nandub and Avi-Mux is useless for this process…

Sometimes you may want to add audio to AVI but find many programs don’t support this. So here I recommend a powerful video editing tool –Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) . With it, you can easily add audio to AVI or other video formats such as MP3, WMA, OGG, or FLAC format and save it as a new file. Now download Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) and learn how to combine audio and video using the simple steps below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

1 Add the files to the program

Install and launch Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor). Then import both the AVI file and audio track to this program. To do this, click the “Import” button or directly drag and drop them to the Media Item. Then select these added files and drop them to the corresponding tracks on the timeline panel below. The video file should be placed on the video track and the audio file on the audio track.

remove audio from avi

2 Adjust the audio file

If the video and the soundtrack lengths do not match, you may need to edit the audio. For example, if the audio file is longer than your video, move the slider to the end of the audio, and drag it to fit the length of the video. If the video is longer than the music track, you can copy and paste the audio file and place the copied files side by side on the same track.

If you want to further edit the original audio file, double click it and change the settings of speed, volume, pitch, fade in/out as you like.

Note: if your AVI file already contains an audio track, you should remove it first. To do this, right click the AVI file and choose “Audio Detach” to separate the original audio from video. Then press “Delete” button on the keyboard to remove it.

remove audio track from avi

3 Save the new file

After adding the audio and combining it with the video, you can export it as a new file. Click “Create ” and select “Format” tab. In the output window, select the required format. You can also go to the “Device” tab and export with the ready-made preset for your mobile device. Of course, you can also directly upload it to YouTube for sharing with the world or burn to DVD for playing on home TV.

remove audio from avi file

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to add audio files to video:

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

You may also like: Tutorial of How to Convert YouTube to AVI Using Best Converters >>

author avatar

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Mastering Sound on Your Mac: The Top 8 DAWs Ranked

Top 8 Best DAW Software for Mac in 2024 (Fully Review)

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

What are the things to consider while you choose the best DAW for MAC? The best Digital Audio Workstation is the one that offers the easiest ways to create music. Get the demos for all the software that you planned to check out, think wisely how you wish to work, and analyze the elements of the best DAW software for MAC, which you consider to be good enough for your project.

You can use the best music production software for MAC throughout the music creation process. From recording to editing , mixing, arranging, and mastering, you may test the software for a smooth workflow. But the software isn’t possible for your use if you find yourself continually struggling with the best DAW for MAC or you need to consult the manual time and again. So, look back and check the other available best DAW software for MAC. Ensure that the potential DAW is compatible with your system. If you are not sure about the best ones, here are eight best music production software for MAC.

8 Best DAW Software for MAC

1. Apple Logic Pro

Price: $199.99

It is the most advanced version of Logic. Whether you wish to mix, edit, write songs or make beats, Apple Logic Pro is one of the best DAW software for MAC. It has a modern interface to get quick results and deliver more power whenever needed. With a wide range of effects, instruments, samples, and loops collection, Logic Pro provides a comprehensive toolkit for creating amazing-musical sounds.

System Requirement: 6GB of disk space for a minimum installation or up to 63GB of disk space for the full Sound Library installation. 4GB of RAM. OpenCL-capable graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later. 256MB of VRAM.

Pros

  • Track Alternatives let you create and switch between different playlists of regions and edits on a track.
  • More than 10,000 Apple Loops in a wide range of genres

Cons

  • Need third-party Audio Units-compatible plug-ins to expand your instrument and effects library.
  • Buy the app to use it on your phone.

Apple Logic Pro

2. FL Studio

Price: The basic version is priced at $99, while the advanced FL Studio goes for $899.

FL Studio can be used for both MAC and Windows. It is one of the best DAW software for MAC. If you are a beginner starting your journey in music-making, you may consider FL Studio.

System Requirement: MacOS:10.13.6 or later, 4GB free disk space, 4GB of RAM or higher recommended. It is not compatible with ARM Processors. The more powerful your CPU, the more instruments and FX you can run. From arranging composing mastering, mixing and more, the FL Studio is a complete package for you for creating professional quality music. You can play it LIVE and record notes on FL studio.

Pros

  • It comes with great bundled plugins.
  • It is one of the bases for pattern-based composition.

Cons

  • No option for score editing.
  • You need to pop out windows and plugins to edit audio

FL Studio

3. GarageBand

Price: GarageBand for Mac and iOS are free for all OS X Mavericks and iOS 7 users. Additional instruments and sounds, costs a one-time in-app-purchase Price of $4.99 each.

Garageband comes with a user-friendly interface. It is a great music production software available for beginners. You get the opportunity to create music with the built-in percussion, synths, and keyboard. Visualize your creation before editing down to the note and decibel with music loops, music lessons, etc. Create amazing music with Garageband. Map the chords to better understand the music theory or use the interactive plug-in controls to create music.

System Requirement: A Mac whose processor is a 600MHz G3 or faster and for using the Software Instruments, you need to have a G4 or later chip. Mac OS X 10.3 or then is ideal. Screen with at least 1024-x-768–pixel resolution and 2GB hard-drive space.

Pros

  • GarageBand ’09 has a straightforward interface to navigate
  • Tracks are easily able to be copied, deleted, looped, split, dragged and inserted into different tracks

Cons

  • GarageBand ‘09 is only available when iLife ‘09 is purchased and can only be used on a Mac
  • Life ‘09 can be brought from Apple for $79.00

GarageBand

4. Audacity

Price: Free software

Audacity might not look as attractive as the other best DAW for MAC, but it is a powerful audio workstation with a dedicated large fanbase. It is a perfect software for recording and editing audio. Whether you want to find the ideal sample or create a brand-new multitrack recording, Audacity can help you with all. It includes a range of effects and plugins such as reverb, equalizers, echo, chorus, distortion, and more.

System Requirement: OS X 10.6 and later is used. Audacity runs best with at least 1 GB RAM and a 1 GHz processor (2 GB RAM/2 GHz on OS X 10.7 and later). For lengthy multi-track projects, a minimum of 2 GB RAM and 2 GHz processor (4 GB RAM on OS X 10.7 and later) is required.

Pros

  • You can record live audio through a mixer, microphone, or digitize recordings from other sources
  • Tracks and selections can be fully manipulated using the keyboard

Cons

  • You can only have up to 16 tracks of audio at a time
  • Audacity also doesn’t support MIDI recording

Audacity

5. Ableton Live

Price: The download version of Ableton Live 10 costs $99 for Live Intro, $449 for Live Standard, and $749 for Live Suite.

This best music production software for MAC is great for both live performances and studio work. It has dual views, which makes it possible to work in the studio and, at the same time, have live performances. Its session view works perfectly with grid-based hardware controllers. It has great design and user interface, with clean and sleek graphics.

System Requirements: OS X 10.11.6 or later is needed. Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor (Intel® Core™ i5 processor or faster recommended) with 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended), and 64-bit only.

Pros

  • Inspirational clip-based live and composition workflow
  • Suite version contains tons of instruments and sample material to work with

Cons

  • No track comping
  • No notation view and pitch correction tool

Ableton Live

6. Studio One

Price: Studio One can be downloaded completely free. All the Registered Studio One 3 users can update to version 3.0. 2 free from presonus.com

In a very short time, Studio One has gained immense popularity and is counted as one of the best DAW for MAC. This piece of software is a complete DAW and is a good one for the professionals. It enhances your composing work and comes with different features made to ease the composting process, like automatic MIDI chord shifting or printing out scores, etc.

System Requirement: Studio One is a cross‑platform DAW, and to run it, minimum Mac G4 1.25GHz or Intel Core Solo 1.5GHz processor, 1GB RAM, OS 10.4. 11, 10.5. 2 or higher.

Pros

  • Studio One’s built-in parametric EQ is flexible and sounds good
  • Drag and drop instruments from the Browse pane onto new tracks to start composing immediately

Cons

  • The installation process is frustrating
  • No support for 3rd party plugins and limited features

Studio One

7. Reason

Price: Reason Studios Reason 11 you can (download) at $ 399.

The instruments, synths, effects, and sounds tools on Reason are inviting, easy to use, and with a sound to die for. Create, compose, mix, and finish your music with Reason as it comes with a huge selection of synths, instruments, and effects to any DAW.

System Requirement: Intel MAC with multi-core processor and 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended for large ReFills or Rack Extensions). 4 GB free system disk space required, plus 8 GB for free content.

Pros

  • Many analog-based virtual instruments
  • Live to sample

Cons

  • Complicated user interface
  • Rewire can be time-consuming and not as smooth

Reason

8. Cubase

Price: There are three versions- Cubase Pro, Cubase Artist, and Cubase Elements. It is priced at $658.99.

Cubase is a well-known DAW for MAC with the most advanced MIDI editing tools. From simple quantization to swing function, in Cubase you can perform advanced severe MIDI editings such as adaptive/rhythm quantization, velocity compression, note expressions, and much more.

System Requirement: Supported operating systems - Mac OS X 10.5.5 and 10.6, PowerPC G5 (Intel Core Duo CPU recommended), 1024 MB RAM, Display resolution 1280 x 800 recommended, CoreAudio compatible audio hardware, DVD-ROM drive with dual-layer support, 4 GB of free HD space, and 2 GHz CPU (dual-core CPU recommended).

Pros

  • Intuitive MIDI engine & advanced editing features and world-class stock plugins
  • Extremely stable & rarely crashes

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Expensive

Cubase

Conclusion

With these above mentioned best DAW for MAC, hope your choice for purchasing the best software becomes easy and straightforward. Never choose the music production software by looking at your preferred producers. Get the demo for the best DAWs and select that suits your project.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

What are the things to consider while you choose the best DAW for MAC? The best Digital Audio Workstation is the one that offers the easiest ways to create music. Get the demos for all the software that you planned to check out, think wisely how you wish to work, and analyze the elements of the best DAW software for MAC, which you consider to be good enough for your project.

You can use the best music production software for MAC throughout the music creation process. From recording to editing , mixing, arranging, and mastering, you may test the software for a smooth workflow. But the software isn’t possible for your use if you find yourself continually struggling with the best DAW for MAC or you need to consult the manual time and again. So, look back and check the other available best DAW software for MAC. Ensure that the potential DAW is compatible with your system. If you are not sure about the best ones, here are eight best music production software for MAC.

8 Best DAW Software for MAC

1. Apple Logic Pro

Price: $199.99

It is the most advanced version of Logic. Whether you wish to mix, edit, write songs or make beats, Apple Logic Pro is one of the best DAW software for MAC. It has a modern interface to get quick results and deliver more power whenever needed. With a wide range of effects, instruments, samples, and loops collection, Logic Pro provides a comprehensive toolkit for creating amazing-musical sounds.

System Requirement: 6GB of disk space for a minimum installation or up to 63GB of disk space for the full Sound Library installation. 4GB of RAM. OpenCL-capable graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later. 256MB of VRAM.

Pros

  • Track Alternatives let you create and switch between different playlists of regions and edits on a track.
  • More than 10,000 Apple Loops in a wide range of genres

Cons

  • Need third-party Audio Units-compatible plug-ins to expand your instrument and effects library.
  • Buy the app to use it on your phone.

Apple Logic Pro

2. FL Studio

Price: The basic version is priced at $99, while the advanced FL Studio goes for $899.

FL Studio can be used for both MAC and Windows. It is one of the best DAW software for MAC. If you are a beginner starting your journey in music-making, you may consider FL Studio.

System Requirement: MacOS:10.13.6 or later, 4GB free disk space, 4GB of RAM or higher recommended. It is not compatible with ARM Processors. The more powerful your CPU, the more instruments and FX you can run. From arranging composing mastering, mixing and more, the FL Studio is a complete package for you for creating professional quality music. You can play it LIVE and record notes on FL studio.

Pros

  • It comes with great bundled plugins.
  • It is one of the bases for pattern-based composition.

Cons

  • No option for score editing.
  • You need to pop out windows and plugins to edit audio

FL Studio

3. GarageBand

Price: GarageBand for Mac and iOS are free for all OS X Mavericks and iOS 7 users. Additional instruments and sounds, costs a one-time in-app-purchase Price of $4.99 each.

Garageband comes with a user-friendly interface. It is a great music production software available for beginners. You get the opportunity to create music with the built-in percussion, synths, and keyboard. Visualize your creation before editing down to the note and decibel with music loops, music lessons, etc. Create amazing music with Garageband. Map the chords to better understand the music theory or use the interactive plug-in controls to create music.

System Requirement: A Mac whose processor is a 600MHz G3 or faster and for using the Software Instruments, you need to have a G4 or later chip. Mac OS X 10.3 or then is ideal. Screen with at least 1024-x-768–pixel resolution and 2GB hard-drive space.

Pros

  • GarageBand ’09 has a straightforward interface to navigate
  • Tracks are easily able to be copied, deleted, looped, split, dragged and inserted into different tracks

Cons

  • GarageBand ‘09 is only available when iLife ‘09 is purchased and can only be used on a Mac
  • Life ‘09 can be brought from Apple for $79.00

GarageBand

4. Audacity

Price: Free software

Audacity might not look as attractive as the other best DAW for MAC, but it is a powerful audio workstation with a dedicated large fanbase. It is a perfect software for recording and editing audio. Whether you want to find the ideal sample or create a brand-new multitrack recording, Audacity can help you with all. It includes a range of effects and plugins such as reverb, equalizers, echo, chorus, distortion, and more.

System Requirement: OS X 10.6 and later is used. Audacity runs best with at least 1 GB RAM and a 1 GHz processor (2 GB RAM/2 GHz on OS X 10.7 and later). For lengthy multi-track projects, a minimum of 2 GB RAM and 2 GHz processor (4 GB RAM on OS X 10.7 and later) is required.

Pros

  • You can record live audio through a mixer, microphone, or digitize recordings from other sources
  • Tracks and selections can be fully manipulated using the keyboard

Cons

  • You can only have up to 16 tracks of audio at a time
  • Audacity also doesn’t support MIDI recording

Audacity

5. Ableton Live

Price: The download version of Ableton Live 10 costs $99 for Live Intro, $449 for Live Standard, and $749 for Live Suite.

This best music production software for MAC is great for both live performances and studio work. It has dual views, which makes it possible to work in the studio and, at the same time, have live performances. Its session view works perfectly with grid-based hardware controllers. It has great design and user interface, with clean and sleek graphics.

System Requirements: OS X 10.11.6 or later is needed. Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor (Intel® Core™ i5 processor or faster recommended) with 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended), and 64-bit only.

Pros

  • Inspirational clip-based live and composition workflow
  • Suite version contains tons of instruments and sample material to work with

Cons

  • No track comping
  • No notation view and pitch correction tool

Ableton Live

6. Studio One

Price: Studio One can be downloaded completely free. All the Registered Studio One 3 users can update to version 3.0. 2 free from presonus.com

In a very short time, Studio One has gained immense popularity and is counted as one of the best DAW for MAC. This piece of software is a complete DAW and is a good one for the professionals. It enhances your composing work and comes with different features made to ease the composting process, like automatic MIDI chord shifting or printing out scores, etc.

System Requirement: Studio One is a cross‑platform DAW, and to run it, minimum Mac G4 1.25GHz or Intel Core Solo 1.5GHz processor, 1GB RAM, OS 10.4. 11, 10.5. 2 or higher.

Pros

  • Studio One’s built-in parametric EQ is flexible and sounds good
  • Drag and drop instruments from the Browse pane onto new tracks to start composing immediately

Cons

  • The installation process is frustrating
  • No support for 3rd party plugins and limited features

Studio One

7. Reason

Price: Reason Studios Reason 11 you can (download) at $ 399.

The instruments, synths, effects, and sounds tools on Reason are inviting, easy to use, and with a sound to die for. Create, compose, mix, and finish your music with Reason as it comes with a huge selection of synths, instruments, and effects to any DAW.

System Requirement: Intel MAC with multi-core processor and 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended for large ReFills or Rack Extensions). 4 GB free system disk space required, plus 8 GB for free content.

Pros

  • Many analog-based virtual instruments
  • Live to sample

Cons

  • Complicated user interface
  • Rewire can be time-consuming and not as smooth

Reason

8. Cubase

Price: There are three versions- Cubase Pro, Cubase Artist, and Cubase Elements. It is priced at $658.99.

Cubase is a well-known DAW for MAC with the most advanced MIDI editing tools. From simple quantization to swing function, in Cubase you can perform advanced severe MIDI editings such as adaptive/rhythm quantization, velocity compression, note expressions, and much more.

System Requirement: Supported operating systems - Mac OS X 10.5.5 and 10.6, PowerPC G5 (Intel Core Duo CPU recommended), 1024 MB RAM, Display resolution 1280 x 800 recommended, CoreAudio compatible audio hardware, DVD-ROM drive with dual-layer support, 4 GB of free HD space, and 2 GHz CPU (dual-core CPU recommended).

Pros

  • Intuitive MIDI engine & advanced editing features and world-class stock plugins
  • Extremely stable & rarely crashes

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Expensive

Cubase

Conclusion

With these above mentioned best DAW for MAC, hope your choice for purchasing the best software becomes easy and straightforward. Never choose the music production software by looking at your preferred producers. Get the demo for the best DAWs and select that suits your project.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

What are the things to consider while you choose the best DAW for MAC? The best Digital Audio Workstation is the one that offers the easiest ways to create music. Get the demos for all the software that you planned to check out, think wisely how you wish to work, and analyze the elements of the best DAW software for MAC, which you consider to be good enough for your project.

You can use the best music production software for MAC throughout the music creation process. From recording to editing , mixing, arranging, and mastering, you may test the software for a smooth workflow. But the software isn’t possible for your use if you find yourself continually struggling with the best DAW for MAC or you need to consult the manual time and again. So, look back and check the other available best DAW software for MAC. Ensure that the potential DAW is compatible with your system. If you are not sure about the best ones, here are eight best music production software for MAC.

8 Best DAW Software for MAC

1. Apple Logic Pro

Price: $199.99

It is the most advanced version of Logic. Whether you wish to mix, edit, write songs or make beats, Apple Logic Pro is one of the best DAW software for MAC. It has a modern interface to get quick results and deliver more power whenever needed. With a wide range of effects, instruments, samples, and loops collection, Logic Pro provides a comprehensive toolkit for creating amazing-musical sounds.

System Requirement: 6GB of disk space for a minimum installation or up to 63GB of disk space for the full Sound Library installation. 4GB of RAM. OpenCL-capable graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later. 256MB of VRAM.

Pros

  • Track Alternatives let you create and switch between different playlists of regions and edits on a track.
  • More than 10,000 Apple Loops in a wide range of genres

Cons

  • Need third-party Audio Units-compatible plug-ins to expand your instrument and effects library.
  • Buy the app to use it on your phone.

Apple Logic Pro

2. FL Studio

Price: The basic version is priced at $99, while the advanced FL Studio goes for $899.

FL Studio can be used for both MAC and Windows. It is one of the best DAW software for MAC. If you are a beginner starting your journey in music-making, you may consider FL Studio.

System Requirement: MacOS:10.13.6 or later, 4GB free disk space, 4GB of RAM or higher recommended. It is not compatible with ARM Processors. The more powerful your CPU, the more instruments and FX you can run. From arranging composing mastering, mixing and more, the FL Studio is a complete package for you for creating professional quality music. You can play it LIVE and record notes on FL studio.

Pros

  • It comes with great bundled plugins.
  • It is one of the bases for pattern-based composition.

Cons

  • No option for score editing.
  • You need to pop out windows and plugins to edit audio

FL Studio

3. GarageBand

Price: GarageBand for Mac and iOS are free for all OS X Mavericks and iOS 7 users. Additional instruments and sounds, costs a one-time in-app-purchase Price of $4.99 each.

Garageband comes with a user-friendly interface. It is a great music production software available for beginners. You get the opportunity to create music with the built-in percussion, synths, and keyboard. Visualize your creation before editing down to the note and decibel with music loops, music lessons, etc. Create amazing music with Garageband. Map the chords to better understand the music theory or use the interactive plug-in controls to create music.

System Requirement: A Mac whose processor is a 600MHz G3 or faster and for using the Software Instruments, you need to have a G4 or later chip. Mac OS X 10.3 or then is ideal. Screen with at least 1024-x-768–pixel resolution and 2GB hard-drive space.

Pros

  • GarageBand ’09 has a straightforward interface to navigate
  • Tracks are easily able to be copied, deleted, looped, split, dragged and inserted into different tracks

Cons

  • GarageBand ‘09 is only available when iLife ‘09 is purchased and can only be used on a Mac
  • Life ‘09 can be brought from Apple for $79.00

GarageBand

4. Audacity

Price: Free software

Audacity might not look as attractive as the other best DAW for MAC, but it is a powerful audio workstation with a dedicated large fanbase. It is a perfect software for recording and editing audio. Whether you want to find the ideal sample or create a brand-new multitrack recording, Audacity can help you with all. It includes a range of effects and plugins such as reverb, equalizers, echo, chorus, distortion, and more.

System Requirement: OS X 10.6 and later is used. Audacity runs best with at least 1 GB RAM and a 1 GHz processor (2 GB RAM/2 GHz on OS X 10.7 and later). For lengthy multi-track projects, a minimum of 2 GB RAM and 2 GHz processor (4 GB RAM on OS X 10.7 and later) is required.

Pros

  • You can record live audio through a mixer, microphone, or digitize recordings from other sources
  • Tracks and selections can be fully manipulated using the keyboard

Cons

  • You can only have up to 16 tracks of audio at a time
  • Audacity also doesn’t support MIDI recording

Audacity

5. Ableton Live

Price: The download version of Ableton Live 10 costs $99 for Live Intro, $449 for Live Standard, and $749 for Live Suite.

This best music production software for MAC is great for both live performances and studio work. It has dual views, which makes it possible to work in the studio and, at the same time, have live performances. Its session view works perfectly with grid-based hardware controllers. It has great design and user interface, with clean and sleek graphics.

System Requirements: OS X 10.11.6 or later is needed. Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor (Intel® Core™ i5 processor or faster recommended) with 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended), and 64-bit only.

Pros

  • Inspirational clip-based live and composition workflow
  • Suite version contains tons of instruments and sample material to work with

Cons

  • No track comping
  • No notation view and pitch correction tool

Ableton Live

6. Studio One

Price: Studio One can be downloaded completely free. All the Registered Studio One 3 users can update to version 3.0. 2 free from presonus.com

In a very short time, Studio One has gained immense popularity and is counted as one of the best DAW for MAC. This piece of software is a complete DAW and is a good one for the professionals. It enhances your composing work and comes with different features made to ease the composting process, like automatic MIDI chord shifting or printing out scores, etc.

System Requirement: Studio One is a cross‑platform DAW, and to run it, minimum Mac G4 1.25GHz or Intel Core Solo 1.5GHz processor, 1GB RAM, OS 10.4. 11, 10.5. 2 or higher.

Pros

  • Studio One’s built-in parametric EQ is flexible and sounds good
  • Drag and drop instruments from the Browse pane onto new tracks to start composing immediately

Cons

  • The installation process is frustrating
  • No support for 3rd party plugins and limited features

Studio One

7. Reason

Price: Reason Studios Reason 11 you can (download) at $ 399.

The instruments, synths, effects, and sounds tools on Reason are inviting, easy to use, and with a sound to die for. Create, compose, mix, and finish your music with Reason as it comes with a huge selection of synths, instruments, and effects to any DAW.

System Requirement: Intel MAC with multi-core processor and 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended for large ReFills or Rack Extensions). 4 GB free system disk space required, plus 8 GB for free content.

Pros

  • Many analog-based virtual instruments
  • Live to sample

Cons

  • Complicated user interface
  • Rewire can be time-consuming and not as smooth

Reason

8. Cubase

Price: There are three versions- Cubase Pro, Cubase Artist, and Cubase Elements. It is priced at $658.99.

Cubase is a well-known DAW for MAC with the most advanced MIDI editing tools. From simple quantization to swing function, in Cubase you can perform advanced severe MIDI editings such as adaptive/rhythm quantization, velocity compression, note expressions, and much more.

System Requirement: Supported operating systems - Mac OS X 10.5.5 and 10.6, PowerPC G5 (Intel Core Duo CPU recommended), 1024 MB RAM, Display resolution 1280 x 800 recommended, CoreAudio compatible audio hardware, DVD-ROM drive with dual-layer support, 4 GB of free HD space, and 2 GHz CPU (dual-core CPU recommended).

Pros

  • Intuitive MIDI engine & advanced editing features and world-class stock plugins
  • Extremely stable & rarely crashes

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Expensive

Cubase

Conclusion

With these above mentioned best DAW for MAC, hope your choice for purchasing the best software becomes easy and straightforward. Never choose the music production software by looking at your preferred producers. Get the demo for the best DAWs and select that suits your project.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

What are the things to consider while you choose the best DAW for MAC? The best Digital Audio Workstation is the one that offers the easiest ways to create music. Get the demos for all the software that you planned to check out, think wisely how you wish to work, and analyze the elements of the best DAW software for MAC, which you consider to be good enough for your project.

You can use the best music production software for MAC throughout the music creation process. From recording to editing , mixing, arranging, and mastering, you may test the software for a smooth workflow. But the software isn’t possible for your use if you find yourself continually struggling with the best DAW for MAC or you need to consult the manual time and again. So, look back and check the other available best DAW software for MAC. Ensure that the potential DAW is compatible with your system. If you are not sure about the best ones, here are eight best music production software for MAC.

8 Best DAW Software for MAC

1. Apple Logic Pro

Price: $199.99

It is the most advanced version of Logic. Whether you wish to mix, edit, write songs or make beats, Apple Logic Pro is one of the best DAW software for MAC. It has a modern interface to get quick results and deliver more power whenever needed. With a wide range of effects, instruments, samples, and loops collection, Logic Pro provides a comprehensive toolkit for creating amazing-musical sounds.

System Requirement: 6GB of disk space for a minimum installation or up to 63GB of disk space for the full Sound Library installation. 4GB of RAM. OpenCL-capable graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later. 256MB of VRAM.

Pros

  • Track Alternatives let you create and switch between different playlists of regions and edits on a track.
  • More than 10,000 Apple Loops in a wide range of genres

Cons

  • Need third-party Audio Units-compatible plug-ins to expand your instrument and effects library.
  • Buy the app to use it on your phone.

Apple Logic Pro

2. FL Studio

Price: The basic version is priced at $99, while the advanced FL Studio goes for $899.

FL Studio can be used for both MAC and Windows. It is one of the best DAW software for MAC. If you are a beginner starting your journey in music-making, you may consider FL Studio.

System Requirement: MacOS:10.13.6 or later, 4GB free disk space, 4GB of RAM or higher recommended. It is not compatible with ARM Processors. The more powerful your CPU, the more instruments and FX you can run. From arranging composing mastering, mixing and more, the FL Studio is a complete package for you for creating professional quality music. You can play it LIVE and record notes on FL studio.

Pros

  • It comes with great bundled plugins.
  • It is one of the bases for pattern-based composition.

Cons

  • No option for score editing.
  • You need to pop out windows and plugins to edit audio

FL Studio

3. GarageBand

Price: GarageBand for Mac and iOS are free for all OS X Mavericks and iOS 7 users. Additional instruments and sounds, costs a one-time in-app-purchase Price of $4.99 each.

Garageband comes with a user-friendly interface. It is a great music production software available for beginners. You get the opportunity to create music with the built-in percussion, synths, and keyboard. Visualize your creation before editing down to the note and decibel with music loops, music lessons, etc. Create amazing music with Garageband. Map the chords to better understand the music theory or use the interactive plug-in controls to create music.

System Requirement: A Mac whose processor is a 600MHz G3 or faster and for using the Software Instruments, you need to have a G4 or later chip. Mac OS X 10.3 or then is ideal. Screen with at least 1024-x-768–pixel resolution and 2GB hard-drive space.

Pros

  • GarageBand ’09 has a straightforward interface to navigate
  • Tracks are easily able to be copied, deleted, looped, split, dragged and inserted into different tracks

Cons

  • GarageBand ‘09 is only available when iLife ‘09 is purchased and can only be used on a Mac
  • Life ‘09 can be brought from Apple for $79.00

GarageBand

4. Audacity

Price: Free software

Audacity might not look as attractive as the other best DAW for MAC, but it is a powerful audio workstation with a dedicated large fanbase. It is a perfect software for recording and editing audio. Whether you want to find the ideal sample or create a brand-new multitrack recording, Audacity can help you with all. It includes a range of effects and plugins such as reverb, equalizers, echo, chorus, distortion, and more.

System Requirement: OS X 10.6 and later is used. Audacity runs best with at least 1 GB RAM and a 1 GHz processor (2 GB RAM/2 GHz on OS X 10.7 and later). For lengthy multi-track projects, a minimum of 2 GB RAM and 2 GHz processor (4 GB RAM on OS X 10.7 and later) is required.

Pros

  • You can record live audio through a mixer, microphone, or digitize recordings from other sources
  • Tracks and selections can be fully manipulated using the keyboard

Cons

  • You can only have up to 16 tracks of audio at a time
  • Audacity also doesn’t support MIDI recording

Audacity

5. Ableton Live

Price: The download version of Ableton Live 10 costs $99 for Live Intro, $449 for Live Standard, and $749 for Live Suite.

This best music production software for MAC is great for both live performances and studio work. It has dual views, which makes it possible to work in the studio and, at the same time, have live performances. Its session view works perfectly with grid-based hardware controllers. It has great design and user interface, with clean and sleek graphics.

System Requirements: OS X 10.11.6 or later is needed. Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor (Intel® Core™ i5 processor or faster recommended) with 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended), and 64-bit only.

Pros

  • Inspirational clip-based live and composition workflow
  • Suite version contains tons of instruments and sample material to work with

Cons

  • No track comping
  • No notation view and pitch correction tool

Ableton Live

6. Studio One

Price: Studio One can be downloaded completely free. All the Registered Studio One 3 users can update to version 3.0. 2 free from presonus.com

In a very short time, Studio One has gained immense popularity and is counted as one of the best DAW for MAC. This piece of software is a complete DAW and is a good one for the professionals. It enhances your composing work and comes with different features made to ease the composting process, like automatic MIDI chord shifting or printing out scores, etc.

System Requirement: Studio One is a cross‑platform DAW, and to run it, minimum Mac G4 1.25GHz or Intel Core Solo 1.5GHz processor, 1GB RAM, OS 10.4. 11, 10.5. 2 or higher.

Pros

  • Studio One’s built-in parametric EQ is flexible and sounds good
  • Drag and drop instruments from the Browse pane onto new tracks to start composing immediately

Cons

  • The installation process is frustrating
  • No support for 3rd party plugins and limited features

Studio One

7. Reason

Price: Reason Studios Reason 11 you can (download) at $ 399.

The instruments, synths, effects, and sounds tools on Reason are inviting, easy to use, and with a sound to die for. Create, compose, mix, and finish your music with Reason as it comes with a huge selection of synths, instruments, and effects to any DAW.

System Requirement: Intel MAC with multi-core processor and 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended for large ReFills or Rack Extensions). 4 GB free system disk space required, plus 8 GB for free content.

Pros

  • Many analog-based virtual instruments
  • Live to sample

Cons

  • Complicated user interface
  • Rewire can be time-consuming and not as smooth

Reason

8. Cubase

Price: There are three versions- Cubase Pro, Cubase Artist, and Cubase Elements. It is priced at $658.99.

Cubase is a well-known DAW for MAC with the most advanced MIDI editing tools. From simple quantization to swing function, in Cubase you can perform advanced severe MIDI editings such as adaptive/rhythm quantization, velocity compression, note expressions, and much more.

System Requirement: Supported operating systems - Mac OS X 10.5.5 and 10.6, PowerPC G5 (Intel Core Duo CPU recommended), 1024 MB RAM, Display resolution 1280 x 800 recommended, CoreAudio compatible audio hardware, DVD-ROM drive with dual-layer support, 4 GB of free HD space, and 2 GHz CPU (dual-core CPU recommended).

Pros

  • Intuitive MIDI engine & advanced editing features and world-class stock plugins
  • Extremely stable & rarely crashes

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Expensive

Cubase

Conclusion

With these above mentioned best DAW for MAC, hope your choice for purchasing the best software becomes easy and straightforward. Never choose the music production software by looking at your preferred producers. Get the demo for the best DAWs and select that suits your project.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Also read:

  • Title: Updated The Audio Experts Manual to Identifying Superior Sound Formats
  • Author: David
  • Created at : 2024-05-05 09:40:55
  • Updated at : 2024-05-06 09:40:55
  • Link: https://sound-tweaking.techidaily.com/updated-the-audio-experts-manual-to-identifying-superior-sound-formats/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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Updated The Audio Experts Manual to Identifying Superior Sound Formats