Glossary → Audio fundamentals
Audio fundamentals
Bit depth
Bit depth is how many bits describe each audio sample — 16-bit (CD) gives about 96 dB of dynamic range; 24-bit recording gives ~144 dB of headroom for production.
Bit depth sets the distance between the loudest representable peak and the quantization noise floor. Recording at 24-bit is standard practice because it forgives conservative levels; distributing at 16-bit is transparent for listening.
Related terms
Dynamic rangeDynamic range is the span between the quietest and loudest parts of audio — of a performance, a recording, or …
dBFS (decibels relative to full scale)dBFS measures digital audio level against the maximum a file can represent: 0 dBFS is the ceiling, and every s…
DitheringDithering adds a precisely shaped trace of noise when reducing bit depth, converting quantization distortion i…