AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is a high-efficiency digital audio compression format developed by Fraunhofer IIS and Apple. It provides superior sound quality compared to MP3 at lower bitrates, using advanced perceptual coding techniques to preserve audio fidelity while reducing file size. AAC supports multichannel audio and higher sampling rates, making it ideal for digital music, streaming platforms, and multimedia applications.
Superior audio quality at lower bitrates, efficient compression, support for multichannel audio, wide device compatibility, lower computational overhead for encoding/decoding, and excellent performance across various audio content types.
Larger file sizes compared to more compressed formats, potential quality loss at extremely low bitrates, less universal support than MP3, and potential licensing complexities for commercial implementations.
AAC is widely used in digital media ecosystems, including iTunes, YouTube, mobile device audio, streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, digital television broadcasting, and online video platforms. It serves as the default audio format for Apple devices and provides high-quality audio compression for podcasts, music downloads, and professional audio production.