Lossless compression
Lossless compression (FLAC, ALAC) shrinks audio while preserving it bit-for-bit — decoding restores the exact original PCM, typically at 40–60% of the uncompressed size.
Lossless is the archival choice: it survives unlimited re-encoding and format migrations. For distribution and transcription, good lossy encoding is usually indistinguishable at a fraction of the size.
Related terms
Frequently asked
What is Lossless compression?
Lossless compression (FLAC, ALAC) shrinks audio while preserving it bit-for-bit — decoding restores the exact original PCM, typically at 40–60% of the uncompressed size.
Why does Lossless compression matter?
Lossless is the archival choice: it survives unlimited re-encoding and format migrations. For distribution and transcription, good lossy encoding is usually indistinguishable at a fraction of the size.
What terms are related to Lossless compression?
Closely related concepts: Lossy compression, PCM (pulse-code modulation) — each has its own entry in this glossary.