Audio bitrate might sound like some chemical, but in reality, it tells us how much digital data is used each second to represent a piece of audio. It’s measured in kilobits per second (Kbps). The higher the bitrate, the more data is used, and usually, the better the sound quality because there are more ‘ingredients’ to make a richer, more detailed sound.
For example, music on a CD is encoded at a bitrate of about 1411 Kbps, which makes it sound great, but it also means it takes up a lot of space. On the other hand, MP3 files can be encoded at different bitrates, like 128 Kbps, 192 Kbps, or 320 Kbps. While a 128 Kbps MP3 doesn’t sound as good as a CD because it uses fewer ‘ingredients’, it takes up much less space. The 320 Kbps MP3 is a good middle ground, offering better sound quality than 128 Kbps but still taking up less space than a CD.
Remember, just like how too many ingredients can spoil a dish, too high a bitrate may be unnecessary if the listener can’t discern the difference in quality!
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