Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark With Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Bit Rate

What is sample rate, bit depth, and bit rate? It's important to know what each of these is and what settings to use for each because all three contribute directly to the overall quality of our final audio. So let's take some time to talk about them using easy-to-understand definitions.

Here's a look at where we've been and where we're going in this season of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark with Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Bit Rate (This Episode)
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity
• Episode 9: How To Set The Correct LUFS Level
• Episode 10: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube
5. Facebook

• Contact Me

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 0:53 What is Sample Rate?
• 5:59 What is Bit Depth?
• 9:53 Recap of Sample Rate and Bit Depth
• 11:06 What is Bit Rate?
• 14:44 Summary and Closing Remarks