Sample rate tells you how many times per second digital audio measures the sound wave. Common values include 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz, and 192 kHz.
44.1 kHz is common for music.
48 kHz is common for video.
Higher sample rates are useful in production, but not automatically better for listening.
Digital audio stores sound as a series of measurements called samples. The sample rate says how many of those measurements are taken per second.
A sample rate of 44.1 kHz means 44,100 samples per second. A sample rate of 48 kHz means 48,000 samples per second.
| Sample rate | Where you see it | Plain-English use |
|---|---|---|
| 44.1 kHz | CDs and music releases | Standard music playback |
| 48 kHz | Video, film, TV, games | Standard audio-for-video workflow |
| 88.2 / 96 kHz | Hi-res audio and production | More production headroom and gentler filtering |
| 176.4 / 192 kHz | Specialized hi-res work | Large files and niche workflows |
For music listening and normal music exports, 44.1 kHz is usually fine. For video work, 48 kHz is usually the safe default.
For recording, mixing, sound design, or specialized processing, higher sample rates can be useful. For casual playback, they are not a guarantee of better sound.
Sample rate is about how often the sound is measured. Bit depth is about how much level detail each measurement can represent. They are related to digital audio quality, but they are not the same thing. See 24-bit vs 16-bit audio for bit depth.
44.1 kHz means the audio contains 44,100 samples per second.
48 kHz means the audio contains 48,000 samples per second. It is the common standard for video, film, TV, and games.
It can be useful in production, but it is not automatically better for normal listening.
44.1 kHz is a safe standard for music playback and releases.
48 kHz is the usual safe default for video work.