Convert .WMA into .MP3 Files - Fast, Free and Secure. We also have information of .WMA and .MP3 Files extensions on this page.
- Information about WMA |
File extension |
wma |
File category |
Audio |
Stands for |
Windows Media Audio |
Developer |
Microsoft |
Overview |
It is an audio file format which is proprietary or closed source software. It is available in four different versions. First one is the original WMA codec. This gives competition to the MP3 and it came into existence in 1999. Next is WMA Pro which is an advanced and new codec. It uses lossy compression but provides audios of high resolution. The third is WMA lossless codec and it encodes audio without losing any information. Lastly, there is WMA Voice which is again a lossy compression and it was developed for audios with low bandwidth or low bit rates. Microsoft has developed an advanced systems format which is used by ‘Windows Media Audio' to store encoded audios. Metadata objects like the album, the genre of track and title; etc. can also be added in this codec. The prime use of this extension by users is streaming on the internet. |
Technical description |
Microsoft has various claims about this codec. Firstly, it was alleged that at 64kbps this format will deliver the same quality of audio as of CD. This was rejected at the end. The second claim is that it gives better sound quality than MP3 at the same bit rate. Thirdly, it was professed that this extension provides a similar quality of audio at a lower bit rate than MP3 at a higher bit rate. Apart from this, there is an option available for this container i.e. DRM(Digital rights management) and this option is completely elective. One may or may not choose this choice. A number of software support this format like Windows media player, Microsoft expression encoder; etc. |
Links |
wikipedia.org |
- Information about MP3 |
File extension |
mp3 |
File category |
Audio |
Stands for |
MPEG Audio Layer-3 |
Developer |
Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft (A German research institute) |
Overview |
It is a digital Audio which compresses the tracks using the lossy format. Although, it follows the lossy format, yet, there will be no noticeable change in the quality of audio. It only discards the superfluous information that a human ear is inefficient to process or hear. With the help of the this extension, one can upload and download audio files with ease, irrespective of the internet connection speed even a dial-up connection users can access these files. There are a number of MP3 Blogs(music blogs) available on the internet where maker uploads music files and a user can download the same without any trouble. These blogs help people to get an insight into the music world. Hype Machine is an example of an audio blog. |
Technical description |
MP3 uses lossy data compression, which means when data is encoded it is not the full original version, it’s a substitute to original copy but in a smaller size. This compression can lead to a decrease in file size, ranging from 75% to 95%. This format is based on perceptual coding due to which this extension screens out the noise, and results in an audio file that uses a low bit rate(lowest bit rate in it is 128kbps). It provides audio of fair sound quality. As it is only an audio file, thereby, if there are any images linked to it then they need to be stored in a separate file. |
Links |
wikipedia.org |