OGG vs MP3
Ogg Vorbis is an open format that sounds a little better than MP3 at the same bitrate and is common in games and on Android. MP3 plays on far more devices, so it is the safer choice for anything you share.
Ogg Vorbis
Choose OGG when
- Game audio and open-source projects
- Android and web apps
- You prefer royalty-free formats
MPEG-1 Audio Layer III
Choose MP3 when
- Apple devices, cars and older players
- Sharing with anyone
- Upload forms that ask for MP3
Side by side
| Property | OGG | MP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ogg Vorbis | MPEG-1 Audio Layer III |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
| Audio | — | — |
| Typical quality | roughly 96–256 kbps | 128–320 kbps |
| Typical size | Similar to or slightly smaller than MP3 | About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps, 2.4 MB at 320 kbps |
| Support | Patchy | Opens everywhere |
| Opens on | Android, Chrome, Firefox and VLC, but not every Apple app, car stereo or editor | Every phone, computer, car stereo, speaker and app |
| Best for | Game audio, open-source apps and Android sounds | Music and voice that has to play on anything |
| Introduced | 2002 | 1993 |
Watch out with OGG
The .ogg extension can hold Vorbis, Opus or FLAC audio, so one OGG plays in a player and the next doesn’t.
Watch out with MP3
Converting a low-bitrate MP3 to 320 kbps makes it bigger without making it sound any better; what was thrown away is gone.
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Questions
Is OGG better than MP3?
Ogg Vorbis is an open format that sounds a little better than MP3 at the same bitrate and is common in games and on Android. MP3 plays on far more devices, so it is the safer choice for anything you share.
Which is smaller, OGG or MP3?
OGG is usually smaller for the same content. OGG: Similar to or slightly smaller than MP3. MP3: About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps, 2.4 MB at 320 kbps.
How do I convert OGG to MP3?
Use the free OGG to MP3 converter. It runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded.
How do I convert MP3 to OGG?
Use the free MP3 to OGG converter. It works the same way, entirely on your device.