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Overview

What is ATRAC?

Today, we take for granted that we can carry a whole music library with us and listen to it wherever we like.  It was Sony that first made this possible with its audio compression technology ATRAC (Adaptive TRansform Acoustic Coding)*1, which was introduced with the MiniDisc in 1992.

ATRAC: A technology that has revolutionized the way we listen to music


ATRAC uses a variety of advanced technologies to analyze digital sound data, allowing it to reduce the size of that data while maintaining superb sound quality (ATRAC*1 compresses music data to approximately 1/5 the data rate of a CD; ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus are able to compress music data to approximately 1/10 and 1/20 the data rate of a CD, respectively).  This ability to reduce the size of data has enabled recording media to be made smaller and more tracks to be recorded on them, changing the way we listen to music.

ATRAC: A technology that has revolutionized the way we listen to music
 

CD
(Linear

PCM)

ATRAC*1 ATRAC3 ATRAC3plus
Bitrate 1411kbps 292kbps 132kbps 64kbps
DataSize
(One 4 minute track)
42.33MB 8.77MB 3.97MB 1.94MB

Number of Tracks Recorded into CD-R(700MB)

About
16tracks
About
79tracks
About
176tracks
About
360tracks

Commencement of music distribution services


Reducing data size using audio compression technologies has made it possible to send music via the Internet.

In 1999, Sony started the Internet music distribution service "bitmusic" using ATRAC.  In this way, ATRAC has contributed to another major change in our lifestyles, making it possible for us to purchase music of our favorite artists, 24 hours a day, from the comfort of our own homes.

ATRAC is a technology perfectly suited to our network era, supporting Internet music distribution, making music available for you to listen to on your PC and ensuring high-quality recording and playback on your portable music devices.

Commencement of music distribution services

ATRAC continues to evolve


ATRAC is evolving day by day. We are working to increase the compression ratio in order to make data even smaller while achieving even higher sound quality.  ATRAC*1 has evolved into ATRAC3, ATRAC3plus and now into ATRAC Advanced Lossless, continually providing a richer musical experience.

ATRAC continues to evolve

*1 "ATRAC" here refers to the SP mode used in the MD format.


The ATRAC Family

Sony’s original ATRAC*1 has continued to change the way we listen to music, evolving into ATRAC3, ATRAC3plus and ATRAC Advanced Lossless.
ATRAC is the collective name of all these audio compression technologies.

The ATRAC Family

*1 “ATRAC” here refers to the SP mode used in the MD format