Four formats in one table
| MP3 320 kbps | FLAC | WAV | AIFF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless | None | None |
| A 6-minute track | about 14 MB | about 35–45 MB | about 60 MB | about 60 MB |
| Tags, artwork | Good | Good | Limited, varies by software | Good |
| Older DJ gear | Plays | Some models can't | Plays | Plays |
MP3 320 kbps: enough for most DJs
In blind tests on big systems, very few people can tell a well-encoded 320 kbps MP3 from the original. Small files, good tags, plays everywhere.
Two things to know. Every re-encode to MP3 loses a little more, so don't edit and export MP3s over and over. And 320 kbps MP3 is the format most often faked: labeled 320, but a 128 underneath.
FLAC: the original, smaller than WAV
FLAC keeps the original quality like WAV but packs it smaller, usually around 60–70% of the WAV size for electronic music. Tags and artwork are well supported.
The one real drawback: some older DJ players can't read FLAC. Check the gear at the venue before you load your USB.
WAV and AIFF: uncompressed
Same quality, same size. The difference is tags: WAV has limited tag support, and whether artwork or keys show up depends on the software, so information gets lost between computers. AIFF handles tags better, which is why many DJs pick AIFF when they want uncompressed files.
So which one?
- For your archive: keep lossless (FLAC, WAV, AIFF) when you have it, and convert lighter copies from that.
- For gigs: whatever the venue's gear plays. If you're not sure, bring 320 kbps MP3s as a backup.
- More important than the format: whether the file is really the original. A FLAC upscaled from 128 kbps is worse than a genuine 320 kbps MP3. See how to spot a fake FLAC.
With TaxonomyDJ
TaxonomyDJ reads MP3, WAV, FLAC, and AIFF. The Inspector tab shows format, bitrate, and sample rate, and flags upscaled files. When you clean up duplicates, you can keep the highest quality copy: WAV and FLAC are kept before MP3. Both are free.