# Audio Dither

Apply dithering during bit depth reduction

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-dither

- **Category:** Media

- **Keywords:** audio, dither, bit depth, noise shaping

## Overview

The Audio Dither tool applies dithering during bit depth reduction to minimize quantization distortion and improve audio quality when converting to lower bit depths.

## Inputs

- **Audio File** (file): Select audio (WAV/FLAC/MP3/OGG/OPUS)
- **Output Format** (select)
- **Dither Method** (select)
- **Target Sample Format** (select)
- **Keep Metadata** (checkbox)

## When to use

- When converting high-resolution audio to lower bit depths for CD or streaming.
- When reducing audio file size while preserving dynamic range.
- When preparing audio for distribution on platforms with specific bit-depth requirements.

## How it works

- Upload your audio file in WAV, FLAC, MP3, OGG, or OPUS format.
- Select the output format (WAV or FLAC) and target sample format (e.g., 16-bit).
- Choose a dither method such as triangular or shibata, and optionally keep metadata.
- Process the file and download the dithered audio output.

## Use cases

- Mastering audio for CD production by converting 24-bit files to 16-bit.
- Preparing podcast episodes for online streaming with reduced bit depth.
- Archiving audio in a lower bit-depth format with minimal quality loss.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is audio dithering?

Dithering adds low-level noise to reduce quantization errors when reducing audio bit depth, preventing distortion.

### Why is dithering important?

It preserves audio quality and dynamic range during bit depth reduction, avoiding harsh quantization artifacts.

### What input formats are supported?

The tool supports WAV, FLAC, MP3, OGG, and OPUS audio files.

### Can I output to FLAC format?

Yes, you can choose WAV or FLAC as the output format.

### How do I choose the right dither method?

Triangular is a balanced default; Shibata variants are optimized for specific noise shaping characteristics.

## Related tools

- [Audio Bit Depth Reducer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-bit-depth-reducer): Reduce the bit depth of an audio file (e.g., 24-bit to 16-bit)
- [Audio Change Sample Format](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-change-sample-format): Change audio sample format/bit depth (e.g., s16, s24, s32, fltp)
- [Batch Audio Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-batch-converter): Convert multiple audio files between different formats like MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, OGG, Opus with quality settings and batch processing
- [Audio Channel Resample](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-channel-resample): Change the number of channels (mono/stereo) while keeping the same format
- [Audio Chord Progression Detector](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-chord-progression-detector): Estimate an audio file's chord sequence locally and download CSV, JSON, SVG, and method notes in one ZIP.
- [Audio Codec Swap](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-codec-swap): Change the codec of an audio file within a chosen output format
- [Audio Melody Contour Extractor](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-melody-contour-extractor): Extract a dominant melody path from audio and export MIDI, note events, a pitch contour, SVG, and JSON in one ZIP.
- [Audio Resample](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-resample): Change the sample rate of an audio file (e.g., 44.1kHz to 22.05kHz)

## Samples

- [Copyright-Free FLAC Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/flac-samples): Lossless FLAC audio samples for testing and development, mirrored from MP3 set with nature sounds and meditation music
- [Copyright-Free MP3 Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/mp3-samples): Collection of royalty-free audio samples for testing and development purposes including nature sounds, meditation music, and ambient audio
- [Copyright-Free WAV Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/wav-samples): Uncompressed PCM WAV audio samples for testing and development, mirrored from MP3 set with nature sounds and meditation music
- [Copyright-Free Raw PCM Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/pcm-samples): Raw PCM s16le audio samples featuring nature ambience and relaxing music for waveform, playback, and conversion workflows

## Related content

- [Make Legacy Voice and Audio Files Playable Again](https://elysiatools.com/en/hubs/voice-codec-pcm-compatibility): Diagnose codec, container, sample-rate, bit-depth, and channel mismatches, then choose a bounded conversion path for a target player or processing chain.