I on a regular basis get doubt about lossless audio files , or file cabinet compressed in a lossless data formatting , for my necessitate the iTunes Guy column . These questions come from people who essay to listen to the honorable quality audio files with iTunes . But many iTunes user do n’t know what these data file are .
In this article , I ’m get to explicate what lossless audio filing cabinet are , how to create them , why you might want to expend them , and why you might not .
What is compression?
Let ’s come out with a simple question : what is compression ? You ’ve plausibly conversant with Zip compression , which lets you shrivel the size of a Word file or a PowerPoint display for storage or to send to someone by email . When you unzip — or decompress — the archive , the resulting file contains the exact same data point as in the original . This seemingly magical compression algorithm looks for redundancy in data , and writes a sort of shorthand , carry through a groovy deal of space .
With audio file cabinet , there are two character of concretion : lossy and lossless . The former is the way file such as MP3s and AACs are shrunk to one - quartern , even one - tenth the sizing of the original filing cabinet . This eccentric of compression removes data for sounds that you ca n’t get wind , as well as using other “ psychoacoustic ” technique to compact the files .
Lossless concretion for audio files allows you to take an original medicine filing cabinet — on a CD , for example — and wither it to save infinite , yet continue the same quality . It ’s not as small as a lossy tight file , but when you play it back , the file is decompressed on the fly front , and the result data is exactly the same as the master copy . This is similar to the way a Zip file of a Word text file containing the textual matter ofMoby - Dickhas all the same words when it ’s uncompressed .
File formats
iTunes handles several audio file formats :
WAV and AIFFare uncompressed audio files , which encapsulate the datum on a compact disk ( or convert from a studio lord ) in a mode that the files can be take on a data processor .
Apple Losslessis a lossless format , which retain the full quality of the uncompressed audio , yet use much less quad ; generally about 40 to 60 percentage less than WAV or AIFF files .
AAC and MP3are both lossy compressed formats . AAC is actually the MP4 standard , the replacement to MP3 .
You choose which data formatting you employ to pull CDs and convert files in iTunes in the General preferences . Click Import configurations , then make your option .
iTunes import options ; here I ’ve choose Apple Lossless .
These unlike formats have dissimilar act pace , and , as such , result in filing cabinet of different sizes . Here ’s an example ; I ripped a Sung in three different format :
you may see that the AIFF file is the large . The Apple Lossless file is smaller , and the “ iTunes Plus ” format riptide , at 256kbps , is even smaller .
The AIFF Indian file will always be 1411kbps ; that ’s the flake rate of music on a CD . The Apple Lossless data file ’s bit rate and sizedepend on the density and complexity of the medicine . And the AAC ( or MP3 ) file will be at the bit rate you choose unless you opt for a truthful VBR ( variable piece rate file ) , where the bit pace will be near a target area bit rate . ( Apple ’s iTunes Plus data format is a sort - of - VBR . )
Note that it ’s generally not a good melodic theme to use AIFF or WAV files in your iTunes library . Not only do they take up a lot of blank space , but tag — metadata you sum to the files — aren’t patronage as well as with the other formats . While you may go after WAV and AIFF Indian file in iTunes , not all of these tag persist in the files if you move from your iTunes library to another computer or gadget .
Why rip to lossless?
You have the pick to rive your CDs to Apple Lossless format . You may also have some FLAC ( Free Lossless Audio Codec ) file you ’ve downloaded ; they ’re very coarse . But why habituate lossless files ? What ’s the advantage ?
As you ’ve seen above , lossless files take up a lot more outer space . So if you have a large medicine collection , you ’ll need a bigger hard drive ( or more than one ) . And lossless files sound precisely like CDs , so you ’ll have the best quality for your home hearing . Also , if you rip to lossless , you ’ll have archival file , which you’re able to later on exchange to any format without necessitate to re - rip your compact disk .
However , if you ’re heed on the go — on an iPhone , with headphones , or pour to a portable loudspeaker system — there ’s little advantage to using lossless files . You wo n’t see any difference in sound timber over the ambient background signal noise , and on phone that are certainly not as upright as those you use at home . And these file take up a fortune of space on a twist that has a limited amount of storage .
fortuitously , iTunes lets you have the best of both choice . associate your iOS gimmick , select it , and then tap Summary . In the Options section , check Convert higher bit rate songs to , and pick out a fleck pace . I use 256kbps , but you’re able to also choose 128 or 192 . This setting tells iTunes to change over your lossless cut on the fly when syncing to your iOS gimmick .
Have iTunes exchange your lossless data file on the fly when sync to your iOS devices .
Converting files to Apple lossless
I advert above that you may have FLAC files that you ’ve downloaded , either from site where striation allow trading of live euphony or from vender who trade lossless files in that format . While iTunes does n’t hold FLAC files , you could just convert them to Apple Lossless , retaining the same timber . Seethis articlefor more on this conversion .
Using iTunes Match or iCloud Music Library with lossless files
You may require to use iTunes Match or iCloud Music Library to keep your iTunes library in the cloud . If your iTunes library contains lossless files , iTunes Match and iCloud Music Library treat them otherwise from other file . If the files are matched , then they ’re mate to the iTunes Store equivalent : files at 256kbps AAC . If iTunes ca n’t match them and needs to upload them , iTunes converts them to 256kbps before upload . This means that your lossless files will never be in the cloud .
However , if you apply the cloud to hear to files on the go , you do n’t require them to be lossless , as I explain above . So this might be the idealistic solution : keep lossless files in your iTunes library , and expend the matched or uploaded versions on your iOS devices .
One more thing: Is it worth re-ripping CDs to a lossless format?
I get this interrogative a lot . It ’s a bad job to re - rend a CD aggregation . I would say that if you ’re satisfied with the way your rips sound , then do n’t bother . If not , you might require to consider re - ripping CDs , especially if you have old rips you made at very low scrap rates , back when computer memory was more expensive , such as 128 or even 96kbps . If you do , and you could afford enough depot , imagine about rip to lossless . While you might not notice the remainder in sound quality , you ’ll have an archival file that you may convert at any time in the future . You ’ll never need to rip those CDs again .
