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Table Of Contents
Chapter 16 Learning About QuickTime 235
III
Audio File Formats
 AAC or .mp4: Advanced audio coding. This format is a continuation of the MP3 audio
format, improving quality while reducing file size. This audio format is commonly
used in MPEG-4 multimedia files, and can support features such as surround sound.
 AIFF/AIFC: Audio Interchange File Format. An audio format for Macintosh computers
commonly used for storing uncompressed, CD-quality sound (similar to WAVE files for
Windows-based PCs).
 Audio CD Data (.cdda): Compact Disc Digital Audio. Audio files stored on CD.
 MP3: Short for MPEG-1, layer 3 audio. This is a very popular format for online
music distribution.
 Sound Designer II: Sound Designer II, sometimes seen abbreviated as SD2. A
monophonic and stereophonic audio file format, originally developed by Digidesign
for Macintosh computers.
 System 7 Sound: An older sound format developed by Apple.
 uLaw: File format developed by Sun that provides logarithmic encoding for a larger
dynamic range than normal 8-bit samples. Approximately equivalent to 12-bit
samples, but suffers from more noise than linear encodings.
 WAVE: The format for storing sound in files developed jointly by Microsoft and IBM.
For a complete list of all QuickTime-compatible file formats, see the documentation
that came with QuickTime Pro or visit Apples QuickTime website at
http://www.apple.com/quicktime.
How Do You Export the Files You Need?
There are two commands in Final Cut Pro that you use to output QuickTime content.
 Export QuickTime Movie: This command allows you to export your Final Cut Pro
sequence as a QuickTime movie, choosing from available sequence presets and
including markers for use in other applications (such as DVD Studio Pro).
 Export Using QuickTime Conversion: Choose this to export QuickTime-compatible file
types from your clips or sequences:
 A broadcast-quality, full resolution, uncompressed QuickTime file
 A still image
 A numbered image sequence
 A highly compressed QuickTime file for multimedia or web use
 Audio only
If you want to export a file that uses the same settings as those of your clip or sequence,
the Export QuickTime Movie command might be what you need for a quick output. For
more information, see the next section,The Export QuickTime Movie Command.”