Audio basics and filesمعدل العينة
Sample rate
How many times per second audio is measured when it is stored digitally, given in kilohertz (kHz). Traditional phone lines typically use 8 kHz, music uses 44.1 kHz and video usually uses 48 kHz.
MP3
In Arabic: ملف MP3
Audio basics and filesA compressed (lossy) audio format that discards sound the ear is unlikely to notice, making files much smaller for a small loss in quality. Great for web and social, not for repeated editing.
Example: One minute of voiceover as a 128 kbps MP3 is about 1 MB, small enough for WhatsApp or a social post.
Related pageAll termsRelated terms
- Audio basics and filesملف WAV
WAV
An audio file format that usually stores sound uncompressed, so it keeps full quality but is much larger than an MP3. It is the safer choice for editing, phone systems and anything you will process further.
- Audio basics and filesمعدل البت
Bitrate
How much data each second of audio uses, measured in kilobits per second (kbps). In compressed formats like MP3, a higher bitrate means better quality and bigger files.
- Audio basics and filesعمق البت
Bit depth
How many bits describe each audio sample, which sets the range between the quietest and loudest sound before distortion. 16-bit is the CD standard; 24-bit is common for recording and editing because it leaves more headroom.
- Audio basics and filesأحادي وستيريو
Mono and stereo
Mono is a single channel heard identically in both ears; stereo has separate left and right channels. Voiceover is normally recorded and generated in mono, while music is usually stereo.
- Audio basics and filesمستوى الجهارة (LUFS)
LUFS (loudness)
Loudness Units relative to Full Scale: a measure of how loud a whole file sounds to the ear, not just its highest peak. European broadcast targets −23 LUFS, streaming platforms normalise to around −14 LUFS and podcasts often aim near −16.
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