What Format Should My Music Files be In??

Hello JRS.

ALAC and FLAC are lossless compression formats, meaning that they retain most if not all the details in the actual recording from
the CD. My songs are in FLAC and I use the foobar2000 to play them on my laptop.

Some argue that without good headphones or a decent audio set-up (amp/dac) you wouldn't be able to hear the difference and I agree.
To me, an AAC/mp3 files with a high bitrate sound just like FLAC. If you're downloading music from the internet in lossless format,
you may want to check with Spectro.

It's too bad my PSP doesn't play FLAC files.

Mostly 1s and 0s

WAV on a file server/storage device and converted as you please from there.

No lossless compression or metadata?

You can always do that after the fact.  I'm rather paranoid despite the checksums.    I guess I have little faith in gods or science.    

 

I prefer to archive my discs rather than keep them handy.  Which could be seen as a compromise already.

 

Edited by Anaxilus - 7/26/11 at 10:22am

Good grief, I thought I was paranoid. 

To the OP, grab whatever lossless file format takes your fancy and convert your music. If you find another lossless file format you'd prefer later, convert it into that from your lossless files.

To clarify koolkat, lossless compression always retains all of the details of the original file.

Your music should be on Vinyl. 

You're missing the /sarcasm 

I use Apple Lossless, since it is for itunes.

 

No, seriously. 

 

Its the only format that has stood the test of time. 

I have to admit that it would be insufferably hip for someone to buy a vinyl record cutter to backup their collection of midis.

 

Just curious. Do you run checksums of each and every of your lossless rips?

 

Hehe. You people seriously shouldn't be worried about data corruption (except for CDs where scratches can be a problem, but that's unavoidable). Do you realize that if uncorrected data corruption was actually a problem, essentially all modern computer technology simply wouldn't work? Do you realize that Google would just collapse if computers randomly dropped/lost bits of data here and there? Do you realize that satellites would be falling from the sky right now if what you're worried about is true? :D

 

The last time I had a corrupted file was on a 3.5" floppy disk what was exposed to a magnet. Even if you did have a corrupted file, you'd know it immediately because it would sound like scrambled noise. So no worries about slowly degrading quality, that simply doesn't happen with digital (CD scratches is another matter though).

 

Anyway I personally find 128 kbps compressed audio to be about as good as I need so far, but I would not entirely rule out 320kbps and loss-less formats I suppose. If there is any difference though, it would be incredibly subtle and honestly probably not worth it.

Edited by ac500 - 7/29/11 at 2:38pm

IMO -

 

ALAC is very convenient for someone that needs to use iTunes for apple devices. If it matters, it doesn't use as much space as WAV, and I personally couldn't hear a difference between the two formats with my own gear and ears.

 

I have music that are 256kbps AAC (bought from iTunes store) and 320kbps MP3 (downloaded from soundcloud, etc), and I find them to be pretty good as well.

 

It's the older 128kbps files that I find that are not as good - typically with distortions or clippings on the highs.