Lossless vs. Lossy: What Every DJ and Producer Needs to Know

One of the basics every professional DJ or producer needs to master is a thorough understanding of audio file formats and how to use them. Here are 2 types of audio format you need to know by heart to deliver truly high-quality music. Let's explore them with Muse Inc!

1. Lossy

Lossy is the most common kind of audio format – .mp3 files, for example. “Lossy” means the audio file you're playing has lost some “bits” during conversion in order to reduce its size. The conversion works by removing sounds that the conversion software's algorithm considers “unnecessary”. And of course, DJs and producers should keep in mind that the more sound is removed from a lossy file, the smaller it gets and the worse it sounds.

2. Lossless

Lossless audio is recorded without any musical data being removed. These files come in two kinds – compressed and uncompressed. Compressed files can't be played back directly, and of course they're smaller than uncompressed ones. Uncompressed files are simply the full recording, untouched and unchanged. They're extremely large, which makes them harder for DJs and producers to store and work with.

That's a simple definition and comparison of the two audio formats DJs and producers come across most. We hope you can now understand and tell these two formats apart. Don't forget to follow Muse Inc for more news and know-how for DJs and producers!