A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

A

AAC

(Advanced Audio Coding), was popularized by Apple through its iPod and iTunes Music Store. AAC is promoted as the successor to MP3 with improved performance for audio coding at medium to high bit rates. The Codec quality is again excellent however playback is unfortunately mostly limited to Apple hardware.

AIFF

(Audio Interchange File Format), a common format for storing and transmitting sampled sound, developed by Apple Computer and the standard audio format for Macintosh computers. Files are 8-bit mono or stereo and generally end with a .AIF or .IEF extension.

album

Originally a collection of music tracks pressed into a two sides of a 12" vinyl record. However the term is now also used to describe CDs. 

analogue

Any measure which varies continuously without distinct steps (compared to digital which is '0' or '1'). For an audio signal, this refers to the continuous variation in current or voltage.

archive

A collection of files gathered and often compressed for storage or backup purposes.

AVI

(Audio Video Interleave), Microsoft's Video standard for Windows based computers.

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B

bandwidth

The amount of data that can be processed by a device. For example the amount of data sent through a network interface card (NIC) in a fixed amount of time. Bandwidth is measured in Kilobits or Megabits per second (Kbps or Mbps).

bass

Lower register of pitch sometimes difficult to reproduce on smaller speakers of portable device headphones. Quite often compensated by a "Bass Boost" feature.

bit rate

The bit rate defines how much musical (or video) information is captured & stored for every second of media. Bit Rates are quoted in kilobits per second. Simply put, the higher the bitrates, the closer the encoding is to the original source.

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C

cache (memory)

A high speed storage device. For example Level 1 cache within a microprocessor core which allows for rapid manipulation of the data within the processor itself without having to request the data from 'slow' main memory.

capture

To record a still or moving image on storage media, for example tape or flash memory. Also to transfer data from one format to another by using a PC and dedicated hardware for the purpose. For example a Video capture card can capture analogue video and convert it to Digital format.

clipping

Audible distortion as a result of flattening off the tops of an audio signal (from too loud an input or insufficient amplification to reproduce the true input signal).

codec

A technology that compresses and decompresses data. A codec can be used to compress files for transport over a network, the Internet, or to decrease size for storage. The codec then expands files to their original size so that they can be played or viewed on a computer. Stands for compressor/decompressor.

compression

The process or result of converting data to a storage format that requires less space than the original data. Strictly speaking FLAC is a Compression (lossless) only format, whereas MP3 is an encoded (lossy) format.

convert

To change media or file from one format to another.

cross fading

The process of reducing the volume of an ending track and merging it with the increasing volume of the next track to produce a continuous stream of music. Music players sometimes have this feature e.g. Windows Media Player & ITunes.

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D

database

An electronic filing system where a computer stores and can quickly access the data.

decode

To read (or view) a specific file format and translate it into another format.

digital

A measurable quantity represented by a numerical code of 1's & 0's. For audio it is the conversion of an analogue waveform to a digital number representing the instantaneous amplitude for each sample taken.

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E

effect

A device or software that modifies a sound to produce an enhanced version of the original.

encode

To write (or save) a specific file format often converted from a different format. Music encoding is the process of selectively compressing the original file using one of the many codecs available e.g. MP3.

encryption

A method of converting data into a secure format. You need a password or key to read an encrypted file.

EQ / Equalization

To increase or decrease certain portions of the audio spectrum to enhance the listener's pleasure or to compensate for deficiencies in the original.

export

To move data from one application to another. The data is placed into a generic format or one that the other application understands. Music files can be exported from a PC to a portable player and the Media player software may recode the files on-the-fly to conserve storage space on the portable.

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F

file format

A standard for encoding information in a file. Each type of file has a different file format that specifies how the information is organized and is generally specific to a particular application.

filter

A tool that can used to reduce an undesirable sound effect in an audio track. For example, to filter out 'clicks' in an LP track.

FLAC

An open source lossless audio codec. Unlike lossy codecs such as MP3 and AAC, it does not remove any information from the audio stream and compresses the files only. It is well suited to both everyday playback and for archiving audio collections. The FLAC format is supported by many software audio & music server products.

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G

gamma

The range of colour values a monitor, scanner, or printer can display. Adjusting this value increases or decreases the intensity of the light spectrum. A gamma corrected image simulates the adjusted display value when it is saved. Important for getting a faithful reproduction of the original image on the chosen display device.

GIF

Graphics Interchange Format.  A file format used in Web pages which is particularly efficient in size for images of fewer colours or details.

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H

Hertz (Hz)

The unit of frequency.

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I

import

To bring data into an application from another using a format that the receiving application understands. Quite often used when initially populating your PC Music Library with your multimedia collection.  Sometimes also referred to as Syncing.

itunes

Apple's equivalent of Windows Media Player. Incorporating Apple's own music store, media player (QuickTime) and iPod synchronization tools.

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J

JPEG

Commonly used compression format proposed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. Offers 24 bit support an excellent compression vs. quality characteristics.

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K

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L

lossless compression (encoding)

A form of encoding where no data is lost, and therefore audio quality is maintained with a small reduction in original file size. Examples include WMA Lossless & FLAC.

lossy compression

A form of compression that attempts to discard 'unnecessary' data. Taken too far, this data loss can affect the quality of the audio but greatly reduces the file size.

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M

metadata

Data embedded into the Compressed audio files containing information about the track. For example, audio metadata should contain the Artist, Album name, Track title, Composer etc..  See also tags

MP3

The most popular digital audio encoding format. Originally invented in 1991 by Engineers of the Fraunhofer Society in Germany. It was designed as a lossy format to greatly reduce the amount of data required and yet still sound like the original uncompressed audio. This is achieved to differing degrees using bit rate and by discarding sounds inaudible to most listeners.

mp3 / mp4 player

The name for portable music players and so named because of the MP3 format being the most widely adopted. The recent addition of video enabled devices has spawned a new class of devices called MP4 players named after the video codec.

multimedia

The collective term used to describe the integration, & playback, of graphics, music and video.

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N

noise

The random errors generated by an audio device in less than optimal conditions. For example a poorly grounded HiFi setup can generate mains hum on a record turntable.

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O

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P

PNG

Portable Networks Graphics format. Combines the best qualities of GIF & JPEG formats offering higher compatibility than previous compression formats.

progressive

A JPEG image display mechanism whereby the image quality builds up until the final image is displayed in its full resolution.  Used for web pages when downloads speeds can be a factor.

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Q

QTIF

Quick Time Format.

QuickTime

A video and animation system developed by Apple Computer and built into the Macintosh operating system and iTunes.

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R

RealAudio

A widely adopted standard for streaming audio data across the internet.

recode

The process of reading a specific file format and encoding it again into a modified form. Uses include reducing the original bit rate (in audio or video) to reduce the file size to enable it to fit the target device e.g. FLAC to 128kbps MP3 or DVD-9 to DVD-5 formats.

ripping

Also known as Digital Audio Extraction. The process of copying Digital audio or video data from an optical disc to a PC's hard disc. Sometimes also used to describe the digitization of analogue data e.g. LP, Cassettes or VHS tapes in a similar manner. The copied data is usually encoded into MP3, WMA, FLAC, etc. to conserve storage space.

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S

sample

An audio wave, measured in bits. The more bits in a sample, the better the clarity and fidelity.

sample rate

The number of samples used per second to digitally represent a sound, measured in Hertz (Hz - cycles per second). The more samples taken per second, the more accurate the digital representation of the sound. The sample rate of an audio recording is one of the factors that determines the overall sound quality.

sample size

The size of each sample, measured in bits.

streaming

Playing an audio or video file simultaneously as it downloads from the Internet.

syncing

The process of synchronizing the content of an MP3 player with a Media Player in a PC. Used to copy favourite tracks from the PC to play on the portable device.

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T

tags/ID3

The method by which Album, Artist, Track names, composer etc., even album art is stored with each music file. Depending on the codec used tagging methods and data available can differ. Right mouse clicking on a music file can display (some) of the tagging information.

TIFF

Tagged Image File Format. TIFF is a popular format for high colour depth images and is widely supported by image-manipulation applications such as Photoshop.

timestamp

The dates and times associated with a file.

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U

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

A computer port for connecting peripheral devices, such as mouse devices, keyboards, cameras, and scanners.

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V

Volume

The loudness (amplitude) of sound presented by the player.

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W

watermark

In photography it is a small semi-transparent graphic added to an image, usually to provide copyright protection. The musical equivalent is a digital signature embedded into the encoded files containing the original owner's identity also to provide copyright protection.

WAV

The original audio file format standard from Microsoft and IBM for storing audio on the IBM PC. Audiophile ripping programs e.g. Exact Audio Copy (EAC) will rip to WAV first and then encode later. WAV can be played on any PC, is readily edited and hence used by many professional audio studios. However it has the largest files of all formats.

WMA

Microsoft's proprietary compressed Windows Media Audio file format. It was initially set up to better the MP3 format. However, now it is seen competing with AAC along the same lines as the original 'WinTel' vs. Apple Mac debate. Either way, it offers excellent audio quality and fairly universal playback, becoming the 2nd most preferred format.

WMA Lossless

Microsoft's proprietary compressed Windows Media Audio file format. WMA Lossless is the ultimate version of the codec compressing at a minimum rate of 470kbps up to a maximum 940kbps, producing an exact copy of the original. It offers CD quality playback combined with being the most efficient lossless format.

Windows Media Player

Microsoft's media player bundled with every copy of its operating system. Plays most formats of digital music and can be used to Rip CDs to MP3, WMA & WAV formats. Recent versions act as a Media Library & catalog Photos, Videos as well as music.

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X

XML (Extensible Markup Language)

A standard language for documents on the Web.

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Y

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Z

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