Bitrate
Definition
The amount of audio data processed or transmitted per second, measured in kilobits per second (kbps). Higher bitrate generally means higher audio quality but larger file size. In lossy codecs, bitrate directly determines the amount of compression applied and the resulting audio fidelity.
In Simple Terms
How much data per second describes your audio. More data means more detail. A 128 kbps MP3 sounds thin and muffled; a 320 kbps MP3 is nearly indistinguishable from the original. Lossless formats don't use fixed bitrate — they use whatever is needed to preserve everything.
In Practice
A streaming platform offers three quality tiers: 96 kbps (low, mobile data saving), 160 kbps (normal), and 320 kbps (high quality). The difference between 96 and 320 kbps is clearly audible on any decent headphones.
Common Confusion
Bitrate and bit depth are different things. Bit depth (16-bit, 24-bit) defines the dynamic range resolution of each sample. Bitrate (kbps) defines how much data flows per second in a compressed stream.