Want to archive a CD collection at full quality while saving disk space? The free Monkey’s Audio compresses digital music into APE files while preserving the audio data, so the files can be decompressed back to their original form.
APE compression and restoration
The central workflow is to compress digital music into Monkey’s Audio files, then decompress those files when the original audio is needed. The compression is lossless: it does not discard audio data to reduce file size. This makes the format suitable for archiving music while retaining the ability to recreate the source files.
Monkey’s Audio can also recreate the original music CD files from its compressed copies. That gives collectors a way to store compressed versions and restore the source audio without recopying the CD.
How does Monkey’s Audio protect compressed files?
The program uses redundant CRCs, a form of error checking, to verify that data decompresses properly. Errors do not go unnoticed, which is important when keeping compressed music as an archive.
APE Tags provide fields for managing and cataloging a Monkey’s Audio collection. They let users keep identifying information with the files as the library grows.
Playback and encoding connections
Monkey’s Audio files are supported by several popular music players and ripping programs, including Foobar, Windows Media Player, and Winamp. It can also act as a front end for external encoders.
Pros
- Lossless compression preserves the original audio data
- Decompression recreates the original music files
- APE Tags support cataloging Monkey’s Audio collections
- Redundant CRCs detect data errors during decompression
System requirements: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11 · ARM64 and x64 · 32-bit installer also available
Does Monkey’s Audio reduce sound quality?
No. Its compression is lossless, preserving the audio data so the files can be decompressed to their original form.
Can Monkey’s Audio restore the original music files?
Yes. Compressed files can be decompressed back into the original files, including files for recreating a music CD.
What are APE Tags for?
They store information used to manage and catalog a Monkey’s Audio collection.
