What Audio Streaming Formats Does SoundCloud Provide?

SoundCloud is home to the largest community of artists and fans in the world, and we want to make streaming available for everyone. Below, you can find information on what formats SoundCloud streams, how we use different qualities for different situations, and specific information for creators.

Available Formats

Our standard streaming format is Advanced Audio Coding (AAC). Based on the quality of the uploaded source file, we transcode tracks into up to three AAC qualities:

- High Quality (256k or higher): Transcoded to 256k, 160k, and 96k

- Medium Quality (160k to 255k): Transcoded to 160k and 96k

- Standard Quality (Under 160k): Transcoded to 96k only

Note: Legacy tracks currently streaming as MP3s are being actively migrated to AAC.

Why Does SoundCloud Create “Low Quality” 96k Transcodings?

Many people in the world have limited mobile data plans or slower internet connections. Providing a 96k transcoding allows people to stream content that might otherwise be too expensive or require a lot of buffering time before playback.

We think that users should be able to stream at a lower quality instead of being cut off by slow or expensive internet connections.

Free listeners can stream 96k and 160k, Go+ listeners also get access to 256k transcodings.

Information for Creators:

For more information about the best formats to upload your tracks to take full advantage of these transcodings, see our help page on High Quality Streaming.