MPC File – What is .mpc file and how to open it?
MPC File Extension
Musepack Compressed Audio File – file format by Musepack
MPC (Musepack Compressed Audio File) is a lossy audio file format developed by Musepack. It uses a hybrid audio coding algorithm that combines a lossless prediction stage with a lossy entropy coding stage. MPC files have a smaller file size than lossless formats such as FLAC, but maintain a high level of audio quality.
Overview of MPC File Format
MPC files are audio files compressed using the Musepack audio codec. Musepack is a lossy audio codec that aims to achieve a high compression ratio while maintaining a high level of audio quality. It is designed to be efficient and produces files that are significantly smaller than uncompressed audio formats like WAV or AIFF.
Technical Details of MPC Files
MPC files incorporate several advanced audio coding techniques, including psychoacoustic modeling and Huffman encoding. Psychoacoustic modeling analyzes the characteristics of human hearing to identify frequencies and sounds that are less noticeable to the human ear. These less noticeable frequencies are then compressed more aggressively, allowing for significant file size reduction without compromising perceived audio quality. Huffman encoding further optimizes the file size by assigning shorter bit sequences to more frequently occurring data in the audio signal.
What is an MPC File?
An MPC file is a lossy audio file compressed using the Musepack audio codec. Developed by the Musepack Development Team, it is a free and open-source alternative to popular audio codecs like MP3 and AAC. Musepack emphasizes high audio quality at relatively low file sizes, making it suitable for various applications, including music, podcasts, and audiobooks.
How to Open an MPC File?
To open and play an MPC file, you will need a media player that supports the Musepack codec. Here are some commonly used media players:
- VLC Media Player: VLC is a versatile media player that supports a wide range of audio and video formats, including MPC. It is available for various platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile devices.
- Foobar2000: Foobar2000 is a lightweight and customizable audio player. It does not natively support MPC but can be played after installing the Musepack decoder plugin.
- Winamp: Winamp is a popular media player that provides support for various audio formats, including MPC. However, it is no longer actively developed and may not receive updates or security patches.
Once you have installed a media player that supports MPC, you can simply double-click on the MPC file to open and play it.
Musepack Compressed Audio File (MPC)
MPC, short for Musepack Compressed Audio File, is an audio file format developed by the Musepack Development Team. It utilizes advanced lossless and lossy codecs to provide a wide range of audio compression options, including CD-quality lossless compression, high-quality lossy compression with bitrates ranging from 160 to 500 kbps, and low-bitrate lossy compression. The format is particularly well-suited for storing and distributing large audio files without compromising quality.
MPC’s lossless compression algorithm, MPC Lossless, employs a combination of Huffman and Rice coding to achieve CD-quality lossless compression. This allows for perfect audio reconstruction, making it an ideal choice for archival and preservation purposes. The lossy compression algorithms, MPC and SV8, offer varying levels of compression at varying bitrates, enabling users to balance file size with audio quality. Additionally, MPC supports multi-channel audio, ID3 tags, and various other metadata options.