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ZAMORA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Media & Information Literacy
Quarter 2 – Module 6
AUDIO INFORMATION AND MEDIA
AUDIO INFORMATION AND MEDIA
What is an Audio?
Audio – is a sound within the range of human hearing. This relating to or employed in the transmission, reception or
reproduction of sound.
Reception – is the action or process of receiving something sent, given, or inflicted.
Transmission – is the action or process of transmitting something or the stat of being transmitted.
Characteristics of Sound
The Four Fundamental Attributes of Sound
1. Amplitude – Refers to how sound particles are displaced or scattered that produce a certain level or intensity of
loudness. The unit of measurement for amplitude is decibels.

2. Frequency – It is measured by counting the number of vibrations of sound particles in the path of a wave in a span
of a second. You typically associate frequency with pitch which is measured in Hertz (Hz).

3. Wave Form – The actual shape of the sound waves. This is commonly associated to the timbre or quality of sound.
Sound form is the characteristics
that distinguishes one sound coming from a source with that of another sound form another source.

4. Speed of Propagation – It pertains to how quickly sound travels. This characteristic is dependent on the medium on
which the sound is propagated, as well as on the medium’s temperature.
Sound is having both technical and aesthetic roles in media production. It has depth and perspective, which is why it
can be a mode of information exchange. The sound, ccording to Roberts-Breslin (2008)
1. Is a powerful tool of expression, both alone and in combination with images;
2. Encourages you to imagine the experience of visuals in your minds, creating a unique experience for each listener;
and
3. Allows you to hear what people are talking about, and hearing their voices, which, as opposed to reading their
words, can give you information about the speaker’s attitude, mood, geographical origin, and age.”

You cannot put the world on mute. Sound is everywhere. What you can do it to make the most productive use of the
sound to benefit yourself and other people (Liquigan, 2016).
Recording Format
Sound may be recorded through analog (as in the case of audio tapes) or digital (in the form of digital audio audiotape
or disc-based format such as compact discs, recordable CDs, rewritable CDs, digital versatile discs, and mini discs),
When you want to record straight to the computer, you may use digital audio recorders (Roberts-Breslin, 2008)
Sound is vital in film and television production. You see sound manifesting as dialogue, music, and sound effects;
thus, it is not merely an additional element to the video component but is rather considered the fifth (5th) dimension of
media aesthetics. As Zettl (1999) puts it, “sound is an indispensable element in television and film communication.”
Types and Categories of Audio Information
1. Different forms of audio we produce and record
Radio broadcast - live or recorded audio sent Sound recording - recording of an interview, meeting, or any
through radio waves to reach a wide audience. sound from the environment.
Sound clips/effects - any sound, other than Music - vocal and/or instrumental sounds combined in such a way
music or speech, artificially reproduced to as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.
create an effect in a dramatic presentation, as It is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from
the sound of a storm or a creaking door. aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an
entertainment product.

2. Different ways of storing audio media

Tape - magnetic tape on which sound can be CD - a plastic-fabricated, circular medium for recording, storing,
recorded. and playing back audio, video, and computer data.
USB drive - an external flash drive, small Memory Card - is a small storage medium used to store data
enough to carry on a key ring, that can be such as text, pictures, audio, and video, for use on small,
used with any computer that has a USB portable, or remote computing devices.
port.
Computer hard drive - secondary storage devices found in personal computers and can store audio files.
3. Common audio file format
MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer) - a common M4A/AAC (MPEG-4 Audio/Advanced Audio Coding) - an
format for consumer audio, as well as a audio coding standard for lossy digital audio compression.
standard of digital audio compression for the Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally
transfer and playback of music on most digital achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates.
audio players.
WAV - is a Microsoft audio file format WMA (Windows Media Audio) - is an audio data compression
standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. technology developed by Microsoft and used with Windows Media
It has become a standard file format for game Player.
sounds, among others.
Elements of Sound Design. The objects or things that we have to work with:
• Dialogue - speech, conversation, voice-over.
• Waterfall - As first element fades out, the second element begins at full volume. Better for voice transitions, than for
• Sound Effects - any sound other than music or dialogue.
• Music - vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and
expression of emotion.

Silence - absence of audio or sound Principles of Sound Design. The techniques for combining the different elements
or objects.
• Mixing - the combination, balance and control of multiple sound elements.
• Pace - Time control. Editing. Order of events: linear, non-linear, or multilinear.
• Transitions - How you get from one segment or element to another.
• Stereo Imaging - Using left and right channel for depth

Dimensions of Sound
According to Zettl (1999) sound has the following dimension:
1. Film sound. Sound has to match the aesthetic impact of an image; thus, most films these days are aiming at using
surround-sound technology.
2. Literal sound. Sound may be referential, which means it conveys a specific literal meaning and describes the source
of the sound. In film language, literal
sound is also called diegetic sound. For instance, when you hear a sound of a baby crying, you will know that the
sound is really coming from a baby who is crying. You will still know this even if the sound is mute because you
associate the image of a baby crying with the sound that is produced when you see such scene.
3. Nonliteral sound. Sound may also be nonreferential and may only evoke a visual image of the source of the sound.
Nonliteral sound is also called nondiegetic sound. Its purpose is more symbolic and it accompanies a particular image
to intensify the intent of that image. An example would be the “borings, hisses, and whams in a cartoon that
accompany the incredible feats of the cartoon character, the romantic music during a tender love scene on the beach,
or the rhythmic theme that introduces the evening news.”

7 Popular Audio File Types to Consider (Casey Schmidt, 2020)

Each audio file type has unique benefits and drawbacks. Determine which one is best for specific tasks or situations to
save time and reduce stressful errors. Here are seven popular audio file types and some unique differences between
them.
File Type Description
M4A The M4A is an mpeg-4 audio file. It is an audio-compressed file used in the modern setting due
to increased quality demand as a result of cloud storage and bigger hard drive space in
contemporary computers. Its high quality keeps it relevant, as users who need to hear distinct
sounds on audio files will need this over more common file types.
FLAC (Free Lossless It is an audio file compressed into a smaller size of the original file. It’s a sophisticated file type
Audio Codec) that is lesser-used among audio formats. This is because, even though it has its advantages, it
often needs special downloads to function. When you consider that audio files are shared often,
this can make for quite an inconvenience to each new user who receives one. What makes the
 FLAC so important is the lossless compression can save size and promote sharing of an audio
file while being able to return to the original quality standard. The near-exact amount of storage
space required of the original audio file is sixty percent – this saves a lot of hard drive space
and time spent uploading or downloading.
MP3 (Media Player 3) The MP3 audio file is an MPEG audio layer 3 file format. The key feature of MP3 files is the
compression that saves valuable space while maintaining near-flawless quality of the original
source of sound. This compression makes the MP3 very popular for all mobile audio-playing
devices, particularly the Apple iPod.
The MP3 stays relevant among newer audio file types due to its high quality and small size.
MP3 continues to be relevant in today’s digital landscape because it’s compatible with nearly
every device capable of reading audio files. The MP3 is probably best used for extensive audio
file sharing due to its manageable size. It also works well for websites that host audio files.
Finally, the MP3 remains popular because of its overall sound quality. Though not the highest
quality, it has enough other benefits to compensate.
MP4 (Media Player 4) An MP4 audio file is often mistaken as an improved version of the MP3 file. However, this
couldn’t be further from the truth. The two are completely different and the similarities come
from their namesake rather than their functionality. Also note that the MP4 is sometimes
referred to as a video file instead of an audio file. This isn’t an error, as in fact it’s both an
audio and video file.
An MP4 audio file type is a comprehensive media extension, capable of holding audio, video
and other media. The MP4 contains data in the file, rather than code. This is important to note
as MP4 files require different codecs to implement the code artificially and allow it to be read.
WAV (Waveform A WAV audio file is a Waveform Audio File that stores waveform data. The waveform data
Audio File) stored presents an image that demonstrates strength of volume and sound in specific parts of
the WAV file. It is entirely possible to transform a WAV file using compression, though it’s not
standard. Also, the WAV is typically used on Windows systems. The easiest way to envision
this concept is by thinking of ocean waves. The water is loudest, fullest and strongest when the
wave is high. The same holds true for the waveform in the WAV. The visuals are high and large
when the sound increases in the file. WAV files are usually uncompressed audio files, though
it’s not a requirement of the format. The WAV offers an uncompressed format.
WMA (Windows - It is a Windows-based alternative to the more common and popular MP3 file type. What
Media Audio) makes so beneficial is its lossless compression, retaining high audio quality throughout all
types of restructuring processes. Even though it’s such a quality audio format, it’s not the most
popular due to the fact it’s inaccessible to many users, especially those who don’t use the
Windows operating system.
- The WMA is a great file for Windows users.
- If you’re a Windows user, simply double-click any WMA file to open it. The file will open
with Windows Media
Player (unless you’ve changed the default program). If you’re not using Windows, there are
some alternatives to help you out. The first option is to download a third-party system that
plays the WMA. If this isn’t something you want to do, consider converting the WMA to a
different audio format. There are plenty of conversion tools available.

AAC (Advanced - It is an audio file that delivers decently high-quality sound and is enhanced using advanced
Audio Coding) coding. It has never been one of the most popular audio formats, especially when it comes to
music files, but the AAC does still serve some purpose for major systems. This includes
popular mobile devices and video gaming units, where the AAC is a standard audio
component.