File Formats Explained
Which format makes sense for images, audio, video and documents, and why there are so many of them in the first place.
Last updated: September 23, 2026
Image formats compared
JPG (or JPEG)
Lossily compressed, resulting in small file sizes with good quality. The standard for photos, but poorly suited for graphics with sharp edges or text.
PNG
Lossless, supports transparent areas. Ideal for logos, screenshots and graphics, but usually larger files than JPG.
SVG
Not a grid of pixels, but a description made of shapes and lines. Stays perfectly sharp at any size, ideal for icons and logos.
WebP
A more modern format from Google, often smaller files than JPG or PNG at similar quality, now supported by nearly all browsers.
GIF
Supports simple animations, but only 256 colors at once, which makes it unsuitable for photos.
Audio formats compared
MP3
Lossily compressed, small files, the most widespread music standard for decades.
WAV
Uncompressed, so it offers the best possible quality, but very large files. Often used in music production itself.
FLAC
Losslessly compressed, so technically identical to WAV, but with a smaller file size. Popular with users who care about the highest sound quality.
Document formats compared
Keeps the layout exactly the same on every device, ideal for sharing a finished document, but poorly suited for further editing.
DOCX
The Word format, meant for further editing, but the layout can shift slightly depending on the program and fonts used.
TXT
Plain text with no formatting at all, but readable by practically every program on every device, even decades from now.
CSV
Table data as plain text, values separated by commas or semicolons. Opens just as well in Excel as in custom built programs.
Video formats compared
MP4
The most widespread standard, supported by practically every device and program.
WebM
An open, royalty free format, commonly used on websites, including by YouTube.