Nowadays, music is always streamed on digital platforms with something called bitrate. So, how do the algorithms behind this bitrate actually work? For example, how much does high bitrate really affect sound quality? Is it lossless or lossy, which one is preferred? What do you guys pay attention to and which one do you choose?
How are audio quality algorithms determined?
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You can compare bitrate to JPEG, bro, just like with photos. A low bitrate MP3 around 96kbps is like the 0.1MP version of that image — the sound just "disappears." Seriously, when you go up to 320kbps, it’s almost as good as the original album quality, even though it’s lossy, giving you a really close listening experience. Of course, lossless formats like FLAC or WAV won’t fall behind the original master in clarity, but I think if your speakers or headphones are around 1000 lira, anything beyond 320kbps is almost unnoticeable.
I usually adjust my preference based on my listening environment; 320kbps MP3 on the go, and lossless at home. Because lossless files are huge, bro, they start filling up my computer’s disk. At the end of the day, the better your device, speakers, and listening environment are, the more noticeable increasing the bitrate becomes — there’s no point in cranking it up to 1000kbps for no reason, 320kbps is already enough for most listeners.