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MP3 vs OGG

Comparing MPEG Audio Layer III and Ogg Vorbis - which format should you use?

	MP3	OGG
Full Name	MPEG Audio Layer III	Ogg Vorbis
Extension	.mp3	.ogg
MIME Type	audio/mpeg	audio/ogg
Category	audio	audio

MP3 Pros

+Universal compatibility
+Good compression with acceptable quality
+Small file sizes
+Supported by virtually every device and app

MP3 Cons

-Lossy - quality lost during compression
-Inferior quality to FLAC, AAC at same bitrate
-Patent issues (expired 2017)
-No support for high-resolution audio

OGG Pros

+Free and open source (no patents)
+Quality comparable to AAC
+Good streaming support
+Native browser support (Chrome, Firefox)

OGG Cons

-Limited hardware support (no iPhone native)
-Less universal than MP3
-Not supported by Safari (use MP3 fallback)
-Less ecosystem support

Use MP3 when...

-Music distribution and streaming
-Podcasts
-Audiobooks
-Voice recordings

Use OGG when...

-Video game audio
-Web audio (HTML5)
-Open-source applications
-Podcast hosting

Learn more about MP3 Learn more about OGG