Vorbis

Vorbis: Free Open-Source Audio Compression Codec

High-quality audio compression without software patents, ideal for streaming and online audio broadcasts.

What is Vorbis?

Vorbis is a free, open-source lossy audio compression format developed in the late 1990s. The Vorbis codec specification is placed in the public domain and it is completely free from software patents. It was created as an alternative to proprietary codecs like MP3 or AAC.

The reference implementation for Vorbis is called libvorbis. It is often used in conjunction with the Ogg container format, so files are typically given the .ogg extension. However, Vorbis streams can also be embedded in other file formats like Matroska and WebM.

Vorbis is known for providing excellent audio quality, similar or superior to other popular formats, but at more efficient compression rates. At equivalent bitrates, it generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 or AAC. This makes it useful for applications like internet streaming, online radio, and video game soundtracks where bandwidth efficiency is important.

It is supported out-of-the-box on many software platforms including Unix-like systems, Android, iOS devices and websites via the HTML5 audio tag. Unfortunately it doesn't have full native hardware support on Apple devices or widespread support on standalone audio devices yet. But overall, Vorbis offers a patent-free alternative with outstanding quality and legal freedom.

Vorbis Features

Official Links