Advanced Audio Coding (.aac)
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is a digital audio file format designed to provide superior sound quality and compression efficiency compared to older formats like MP3. Developed in the late 1990s by a consortium of companies, including Fraunhofer IIS, Dolby, and Sony, AAC has become the standard audio format for various platforms, including Apple's iTunes and YouTube. It is widely used in streaming, broadcasting, and multimedia applications due to its ability to deliver high-fidelity audio at lower bit rates, making it ideal for bandwidth-constrained environments.