Audio file formats, How do you export the files you need – Apple Final Cut Pro 6 User Manual
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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 Apple’s QuickTime website at
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, “