What Happens to Your Music After You Hit Export? Understanding Audio File Formats

You have finished recording, mixing, and editing your song. Now it is time to hit export. But when your software asks you to choose between formats, how do you know which one to use?

What Happens When You Export a Song?

When you export a song from a digital audio workstation (DAW), your software combines the tracks, instruments, vocals, effects, and other elements into a single audio file.

You can think of your DAW project as the recipe and the exported file as the finished dish. The project contains all the individual ingredients, while the exported file contains the completed result.

Audio file formats determine how your music is stored, how large the file will be, and how easily it can be shared or played on different devices. When exporting, choosing the right settings helps preserve your work and ensures your song is ready for its intended purpose.

Lossless vs. Lossy Audio

Lossless audio 

• Preserves the original audio data without permanently discarding information. Some lossless formats compress the file to save storage space without sacrificing audio quality.

Lossy audio 

• Reduces file size by permanently removing some audio information. This makes files easier to share and store, but it can reduce sound quality.

For music production, keeping a high-quality lossless version of your song is a good starting point.

Common Audio File Formats

• WAV (.wav): A lossless uncompressed format widely used for recording, editing, mixing, and delivering high-quality audio.

• AIFF (.aiff): Another lossless uncompressed format that preserves audio quality and is commonly associated with Apple-based workflows.

• MP3 (.mp3): A lossy compressed format that creates smaller files, making it useful for demos, previews, and easy sharing.

• FLAC (.flac): A lossless compressed format that preserves audio quality while taking up less space than an equivalent uncompressed file.

• AAC (.aac or often .m4a): A lossy compressed format commonly used for digital audio and streaming because it offers efficient compression.

WAV and AIFF are useful for professional production because they preserve the audio data without lossy compression. 

What Are Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Bitrate?

Sample rate

• Measures how many audio samples are captured per second. It is measured in kilohertz (kHz), with 44.1 kHz (CDs, streaming) and 48 kHz (film, TV) being common settings.

Bit depth

• Determines the precision used to represent each audio sample and affects the available dynamic range. Common settings include 16-bit and 24-bit.

Bitrate

• Measures how much data is used per second of audio, typically in kilobits per second (kbps). It is especially relevant to compressed formats (MP3 and AAC).

These settings affect how audio is represented, how much space it takes up, and how much information is retained. The right choices depend on your project and the requirements of whoever will receive the file.

Which Format Should You Use?

• Recording and mixing: WAV is a common choice for maintaining high-quality audio throughout production.

• Sending tracks to another engineer: Use the format, sample rate, and bit depth they request. WAV is commonly used for exchanging individual tracks/mixes.

• Sharing a demo: MP3 is useful when you want a smaller file that is easy to send.

• Archiving your music: WAV or FLAC can preserve the audio without lossy compression.

• Releasing music: Follow the specifications of your distributor or delivery platform rather than assuming one format works for every situation.

When in doubt, keep a high-quality lossless version of your final mix. You can always create a smaller MP3 or another delivery format from that file later. However, converting a lossy file back to WAV will not restore audio information that was already discarded.

Common Export Mistakes to Avoid

• Choosing the wrong format: Make sure the file type matches how you plan to use or share the audio.

• Using unnecessary compression: Exporting at a low bitrate can introduce unwanted artifacts into your music.

• Clipping the audio: Make sure your final export is not digitally clipping or distorting.

• Ignoring delivery requirements: Check the requested sample rate, bit depth, channel format, and file type before sending a mix.

• Overwriting your project: Keep your original DAW session and a separate copy of the final exported file so you can make changes later.

Taking a moment to check these details can save you time and prevent problems when sharing or releasing your music.

Inside the Cockpit: Getting Your Mix Ready for Export

At The Cockpit Studio, AVLI brings his experience as an award-winning producer, vocal producer, mixing engineer, songwriter, composer, and pianist to the recording and mixing process. 

AVLI's experience helps him focus on more than simply creating a file that plays. The goal is to make sure the recorded elements work together, the mix translates well across listening environments, and the exported version accurately represents the intended sound. Export settings cannot fix problems in a mix, so getting the audio right before the final export matters just as much as choosing the correct format.

Rather than expecting artists to know every specification themselves, AVLI will ask how the files will be used, whether there are any delivery requirements, and what the client needs. From there, he can determine the appropriate settings and export the files accordingly.