Audio codec

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An audio codec is a computer program that compresses/decompresses digital audio data according to a given audio file format or streaming audio format. Most codecs are implemented as libraries which interface to one or more multimedia players, such as XMMS, Winamp or Windows Media Player.

In some contexts, the term "audio codec" can refer to a hardware implementation or sound card. When used in this manner, the phrase audio codec refers to the device encoding an analog audio

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Data compression methods

Lossless compression methods

Theory	Entropy · Complexity · Redundancy
Entropy encoding	Huffman · Adaptive Huffman · Arithmetic (Shannon-Fano · Range) · Golomb · Exp-Golomb · Universal (Elias · Fibonacci) · Asymmetric binary
Dictionary	RLE · LZ77/78 · LZW · LZWL · LZO · DEFLATE · LZMA · LZX
Others	CTW · BWT · PPM · DMC

Audio compression methods

Theory	Convolution · Sampling · Nyquist–Shannon theorem
Audio codec parts	LPC (LAR · LSP) · WLPC · CELP · ACELP · A-law · μ-law · MDCT · Fourier transform · Psychoacoustic model
Others	Dynamic range compression · Speech compression · Sub-band coding

Image compression methods

Terms	Color space · Pixel · Chroma subsampling · Compression artifact
Methods	RLE · Fractal · Wavelet · SPIHT · DCT · KLT
Others	Bit rate · Test images · PSNR quality measure · Quantization

Video compression

Terms	Video Characteristics · Frame · Frame types · Video quality
Video codec parts	Motion compensation · DCT · Quantization
Others	Video codecs · Rate distortion theory (CBR · ABR · VBR)