By Donald Bell

I know our MP3 Insider audience could probably spot the difference between FLAC and MP3 just by using their finely-tuned ears, but for mere mortals, making sense of audio formats isn't easy. There was a time when all you had to worry about was music coming on CD, cassette, or vinyl, and telling them apart was obvious. Telling the difference between MP3, WMA, and WAV files isn't quite as clear and determining each format's advantages and limitations takes some homework, too.

If you or someone you know could use a little Audio Formats 101, I've made and overview video and slideshow that covers most of the basic formats that people encounter on their computers. I don't go so far as to say which formats work best (that's a judgment call everyone needs to make for themselves), but you'll get a sense of which formats work on the iPod, and some clues for how those WMA files got in your music collection.

This story was originally published on the CNET blog MP3 Insider.