Digital Audio Forensics Fundamentals

Chapter 6

Audio encoding

Introduction

Once sound has been sampled, it must then be encoded in the form of a digital file for storage and subsequent playback. Although there are many audio formats, with each differing from the next, the general components and principles are the same for all digital audio files. These are most easily understood when deconstructed into several distinct areas. Understanding how audio is encoded is essential to a number of forensic processes, from conversion through to authentication.

There are several elements which make up a digital audio file, all of which pertain to either the file container or the audio data. The following paragraphs provide a brief overview of these elements and how they all relate to one ...