Library & files
Bit rate
Bit rate is how much data one second of audio uses, in kilobits per second. It decides the file size, and on a lossy format it decides how much of the original recording survives the encoding.
Measured in our catalog
The median track here runs 5:48, which is 61.4 MB as a WAV and 13.9 MB at 320 kbps — about 2,298 tracks on a 32 GB drive, against 521.
That is the trade stated plainly: the same music, the same drive, four and a half times as many records. The median is measured across 443,414 public tracks and the sizes are exact arithmetic from each format's bit rate — nothing in this catalog records what a file was actually encoded at, so these are what a track of that length costs in each format rather than what any particular file on your drive costs.
5:48
Median track length
61.4 MB
As an uncompressed WAV
13.9 MB
At 320 kbps
2,298
320 kbps tracks on 32 GB
| Format | Bit rate | A median track | On a 32 GB drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAV / AIFF | 1,411 kbps | 61.4 MB | 521 |
| MP3 320 | 320 kbps | 13.9 MB | 2,298 |
| AAC 256 | 256 kbps | 11.1 MB | 2,873 |
| MP3 128 | 128 kbps | 5.6 MB | 5,747 |
Measured on 11 August 2026 across public tracks carrying a duration (443,414 of 443,460) for the median length; the sizes are exact arithmetic from each format's bit rate, in decimal megabytes. Method: the full duration distribution.
Why it matters
Bit rate is the number that turns an abstract format argument into a concrete one about how much music fits on the drive you are carrying. The gap between an uncompressed file and a 320 kbps one is more than four times the space, on every single track.
It is also the number most worth checking before a gig rather than during one. A 128 kbps file bought years ago sounds acceptable in headphones and thin on a big system, and the place to find that out is not while it is playing.
Frequently asked
Is 320 kbps good enough for DJing?+
For almost every purpose, yes — it is what most stores sell as their lossy option and what most DJs play. Buying lossless is worth it if you convert or process files, because a lossy file degrades further each time it is re-encoded.
How big is a 320 kbps track?+
About 13.9 MB for a track of median length in this catalog (5:48). The same track uncompressed is roughly 61.4 MB.
Can you hear the difference at 128 kbps?+
On a club system, usually. The artefacts sit in the top end and in busy passages, which is where a big rig has the most resolution and headphones have the least.
Related terms
Lossy compression
Lossy compression shrinks a file by discarding audio a listener is unlikely to notice. What it removes is gone permanently, and encoding an already-lossy file removes more on top.
Lossless
Lossless means the encoding discards nothing: decode the file and the original samples come back bit for bit. WAV, AIFF, FLAC and ALAC are lossless; MP3 and AAC are not.
Sample rate
Sample rate is how many times a second a digital file measures the waveform, in kilohertz. CD audio is 44.1 kHz, and the number sets the highest frequency the file is able to carry.
AAC and M4A
AAC is a lossy codec, usually delivered in an .m4a container, and it is what Apple’s ecosystem and most video use. At the same bit rate it generally holds up better than MP3.
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