Terminology sometimes becomes blurred in discussions of digital audio. Often the same name is applied to the software that creates the audio, the computer algorithm that compresses and decompresses the audio, the file format that is used to store the compressed audio data, and the player that plays back the resulting audio file. For example, the Windows Media Encoder can be used to create compressed Windows Media Audio data stored in a Windows Media Audio (.wma) file, which can be played back using a number of different players, including the Windows Media Player. As I discuss digital audio, I will try to maintain distinctions in the terminology used for file formats, compression/decompression algorithms, software, and players. Here is a summary of the terminology used in this book:
The most common area of confusion lies in the term ``format.'' A distinction should be made between the format of the digital audio file and the format of the digital audio that the file contains. Think of a pitcher containing a beverage: a pitcher is similar to an audio file. Instead of a beverage, an audio file contains audio data. Similarly, the type of pitcher (round or octagonal; plastic or glass) would correspond to the file format, and the type of beverage (lemonade, iced tea, margaritas) would correspond to the audio format. The file format and the audio format are different concepts, and they exist independently of each other.3.1