Glossary of Terms

A quick explanation of the AAC audio compression and encoding system.

Find out in this article what the AACplus format is and how it is used by software programs and online music services.

A brief explanation of the lossless audio format, ALAC.

Discover by reading this glossary article what the AMR format is and how it used. By reading this definition, you will also learn about some of its applications in the real world.

What exactly is an Apple ID? And more importantly, what does it enable you to do? This feature, which is also commonly known as an iTunes account (when using Apple's online store), is Apple's all-in-one security platform that enables you to do far more than just buy products on the iTunes Store. To find out more on the Apple ID term, and what...

Audiobooks are defined as recordings that you can listen to as apposed to having to read text. They can be useful if you seldom get the chance to read physical publications, or prefer to listen while you are driving for example. Find our more about audiobooks in this definition article.

In digital music, the term audio clipping describes the sound distortion that is generated when an audio signal is too large to be represented. If you've tried to record your own audio via a microphone or soundcard input in the past and heard distorted sound during playback, then there is a good chance that you have suffered clipping. In this...

The term Bit Depth is often confused with another similar sounding audio definition called bit rate. This article will explain what bit depth means and how it can be differentiated from bit rate.

What is the definition of bitrate? This glossary article will give you a quick explanation of what the term, bitrate, actually means.

This article explores the term BitTorrent when used as a file sharing technology.

A definition of CBR

Cloud storage definition: what is cloud storage? This article defines what the cloud storage term means. Find out about online servers that store your data. and how you can use Internet storage space to securely store your important data just in case your external hard drive, USB flash drive, etc., goes south.

What is the definition of the term Codec? This glossary article gives you a quick explanation of what a codec is and how it relates to digital music.

A short article explaining compressed audio and how the technology behind it works.

You have probably heard of the term crossfading. It's a mixing effect often used by DJ's to smoothly fade one song out as the next one starts to play. If you've got a digital music library that you listen to using a software media player like iTunes or Windows Media Player for example, then did you know that you can crossfade your MP3s? In this...

This article briefly describing the meaning of the acronym, DAP, and also goes into a little detail on some examples. There's also a section on some of the typical uses of a digital audio player (typically called an MP3 player) when in the realms of digital music.

A definition of the DRM technology that is used for the protection of digital music files.

File sharing definition: what is file sharing? This article briefly explains what file sharing is, the methods involved, and its legality.

What is the FLAC audio format? If you want a quick and easy-to-understand definition of the lossless FLAC audio format, then be sure to read this article.

What is Flash Memory? If you've got an MP3 player or PMP that uses flash memory as storage, you might be wondering how it works or want to find out more about this technology. This short article aims to explain the basic principles of flash memory without getting too technical. You'll also discover how it works and common devices that use it.

If you've already heard about Google Play, but don't know much about it, then this article will quickly give you the details. By consulting this glossary article, you'll also discover how you can use Google's hub of media services to listen to digital music and take advantage of its cloud storage services to stream your existing library to...

A brief description about the Apple iCloud service and some of its features.

What is an ID3 tag and how is it used in an MP3?

Find out in this definition of iTunes what its main features are and the file formats that it supports.

iTunes LP is a feature of Apple's iTunes Store. When you buy an album that is in the iTunes LP format you get extra content along with the purchased music. But what type of bonus content do you get? And is it all viewable on all your Apple devices? If you want to know more about iTunes LP, then read this definition article that goes into how...

iTunes Match Definition. You've probably heard all the hype surrounding Apple's iTunes Match service, but what exactly is it? By reading this article, you'll be able to find out how this service works to enable you to store your iTunes song library in the cloud. You will also discover its features, supported audio formats, and service...

iTunes Ping is Apple's integrated social networking platform for iTunes. But what exactly can you do with it, and what benefits are there in using it? To find out the answers to these questions and more, read this short iTunes Ping definition article.

iTunes Plus definition: what is iTunes Plus? This article quickly gives you the details of the iTunes Plus feature. Find out about what format is used, the bitrate, and how it relates to Apple's iTunes Store.

iTunes U is a free part of the iTunes Store. In this glossary term, we'll show you what type of content you can access and how to start using iTunes U.

kbps stands for Kilobits Per Second and is a a unit of measurement commonly used in digital music playback. Find out what it actually represents.

Lame_Enc definition - An explanation of the Lame MP3 Encoder (Lame_Enc.dll)which is used for encoding to the MP3 format.

An explanation of the term lossless and how this type of audio format contrasts with lossy encoded digital audio files.

Lossy - A definition of the term lossy in relation to compression algorithms.

Audiobooks that you purchase and download from the iTunes Store come in the M4b format, but what is the difference between this and other common digital audio formats such as MP3, WMA, M4a, etc? For a complete explanation of the M4b format,including the advantage of using it for the spoken word, read this M4b definition article for more...

What is MIDI music? In this short definition of how MIDI files work, we explain how this file type can be classed as a type of digital music format. Even though MIDI files that you may download from the Internet won't work with modern portables (iPhone, MP3 player, etc.), you can convert them into formats such as MP3 and AAC which can then be...

What is Mobile Music? This term describes the listening and downloading of digital music directly on your phone. As well as using streaming music services via your phone or Internet tablet, the definition of mobile music also extends to downloading realtones (MP3 ringtones) too. For a more in-depth look at the different sources of mobile music,...

MP3 definition - What is MP3 and how does it work?

What is an MP3 CD? Creating MP3 CDs gives you the ability to carry around your digital music and play it on hardware devices like CD and DVD players. It's not always practical to use an MP3 player and so using an MP3 CD can be a good solution. You can also fit many more songs and albums on this type of data CD when compared to a standard audio...

You may have seen MSC mode in your MP3 player or PMP device's settings, but what does it actually mean? This article explains what this term stands for and how it relates to digital music devices that support it.

What is MTP mode? This article quickly explains what this acronym stands for and how it relates to portable devices that support it.

What exactly are music lockers? Read on to find out what they are and how you can use them for digital music.

Music Metadata is the information contained in an MP3 file that identifies various aspects of the encoded audio. But how is it stored? And what software is needed to view and edit this information? Read this quick glossary article about music metadata to find out more.

Discover by reading this glossary article what the OGG format is and why it is used by software applications and streaming music services.

P2P definition - An explanation of the term P2P which is normally connected with P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing.

What exactly are Playlists? And more importantly, how can you use them for organizing and listening to your digital music library? Read on to find out the basics of playlists.

PMP definition: what is a portable media player? This article explains what kind of device qualifies as a PMP and how it differs from a standard DAP (digital audio player).

A podcast is a digital audio file that you can download. But how is it different from a normal audio file you'd download? Read this glossary article to find out more.

What exactly is ReplayGain? In this definition of Replay Gain, we aim to explain how this standard normalizes the loudness of your songs so they all play at the same volume setting. By reading this article, you'll also discover the types of software programs and hardware devices that use it.

This article explains what ripping is, its benefits, and some of the ways you can do it in digital music.

Discover by reading this glossary article what ringtones are, the common formats that are used, and how you can create your own from your digital music library.

Find out what Last.fm's scrobbling is and how it used with their streaming music service.

The term SHOUTcast describes an Internet radio platform that enables you to stream music via software media players like Winamp, but what exactly is it? And how does it work? For more information on SHOUTcast and how you can use it, read this definition article. You'll also discover the many ways you can connect to SHOUTcast servers in order to...

Transcoding defines the process of converting one digital format into another. For audio, this is usually performed to make an existing file more compatible with computer software or a particular portable device which may only support certain media formats. If you want to know more on the subject of transcoding, and some of its applications,...

What is VBR and how does it work? Read this definition for the answers.

Do you need to find out more about vocal removal? Removing voice from a song can be achieved using software, but how does it work? This definition article explains the basics on removing the human voice from songs and also goes into detail on how you can use it with your digital music files.

Find out in this article what the Vorbis format is and some of its applications.

A definition of the WAV audio file format.

A brief description of Microsoft's WMA format.

Find out what a computer worm is and how it differs from a virus.

An explanation of WORM optical storage media.