Overall Comparison
You might need to know about bit rate when choosing the best audio format for your portable device or when converting to the MP3 format with an audio converter tool or another program such as iTunes. Bit depth becomes important when digitizing your analog music collection or needing the highest possible sound quality.
Bit Rate Pros and Cons
Bit rate is a measurement expressed in kilobits per second (Kbps), which is thousands of bits per second. Kbps is a measure of the bandwidth of data transmission equipment. It shows the amount of data that flows at a given time across a network. For example, a recording with a 320 Kbps bit rate is processed at 320,000 bits per second. A high bit rate recording delivers better quality audio and takes up more space on a computer or mobile device. However, you aren’t likely to notice the improved quality over one of lower quality unless you have high-quality headphones or speakers. For example, if you’re listening over a standard pair of earbuds, you probably won’t notice the difference between a 128 Kbps file and a 320 Kbps file.
Bit Depth Pros and Cons
At first, bit depth might seem a complicated subject. In its simplest form, it measures how precisely a sound is represented in digital audio. The higher the bit depth, the more accurate the digital sound. You probably encountered songs that come at a particular bit rate from MP3 download services or streaming music sites, but little is said about bit depth. However, if you plan to digitize your collection of vinyl records or analog tapes to store them as high-quality digital audio files, you need to know about bit depth. A higher bit depth gives a more detailed sound recording. A low bit depth causes quiet sounds to be lost. Audio CDs use 16 bits per sample, while Blu-ray discs and DVDs use 24 bits for each sample. The sound quality achievable on the Blu-ray disc or DVD is higher than can be achieved on an audio CD. This attribute influences how much detail you can capture from the original recordings. Getting the bit depth right is also critical for keeping background signal interference at a minimum and affecting the volume of recordings.
Final Verdict
Generally, the bit rate is a relevant concern when working with audio. Why? You have little choice with CDs. CDs are at 16 bits per sample. Keeping the bit rate high will matter more. Blu-ray audio is gaining traction. It allows for greater bit depth and, ultimately, more detailed audio. You won’t find every artist releasing on Blu-ray just yet, so it’s a special case type of situation. The most practical thing you can do to ensure your digital audio is the highest quality is to use lossless formats like FLAC and WAV.
