Channels (mono, stereo, multichannel)

Channels are the independent audio streams in a recording: mono has one, stereo two, surround formats more.

Speech is naturally mono — one voice, one signal — and mono halves file size versus stereo. Multitrack recordings that keep each speaker on a separate channel are the best possible input for diarization and editing.

Stereo matters for music and ambience; podcast platforms commonly recommend mono for voice-only shows.

Related terms