WMA and Opus explained
WMA is Microsoft's audio format from the Windows Media era. It is functionally obsolete and some older files carry DRM that prevents conversion.
Opus is the current state of the art for lossy audio, and the codec behind most voice calls you make over the internet. It performs well across an unusually wide range, from 6 kbps speech to transparent music.
- Where WMA files come from
- Music ripped on Windows in the 2000s.
- Where Opus is used
- Voice and video calls, modern podcast pipelines and WebRTC.