Audio Format & Codec Analyzer

Container headers reveal codecs, channel maps, bitrates, sample rates, and textual tags such as ID3. Inspect them to debug playback failures, podcaster loudness targets, and CDN delivery mismatches across mobile and desktop stacks.

How to use

  1. Load a local file or sanitized sample captured from production traffic.
  2. Read codec flavor (AAC-LC vs HE-AAC, Opus, FLAC, etc.), bit depth, sample rate, channels, and whether the encoder marked VBR/CBR.
  3. Compare readings with encoder presets and platform matrices; re-encode to baseline codecs if a browser or smart TV rejects exotic parameters.

FAQ

Safari fails while Chrome plays the same file—why?
Media pipelines differ: unsupported codec profiles, wrong MIME types, or fragmented MP4 moofs break selective clients. Standardize on interoperable AAC-LC or Opus where policies allow.
Does low bitrate always mean bad audio?
Low nominal bitrate can signal heavy compression or even misreported metadata—always listen for artifacts. Keep lossless intermediates before final lossy encodes for music mastering workflows.
Should embedded cover art be huge?
Large ID3 artwork bloats downloads; some players downscale anyway. Ship modest square JPEGs/PNGs for tags and store high-res art separately for marketing.

Audio Analyzer

Audio Analyzer
~/tools/audio $ ./audio-analysis.sh
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Drag and drop media files here, or click to upload

Supports image or audio files. Analysis runs completely locally to protect your privacy.