TTA file (True Audio)
True Audio, a simple lossless codec.
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Convert TTA to MP3, free and without uploading it.
What is a TTA file?
In short: A TTA file (.tta) is an audio file in the TTA format. TTA compresses losslessly with a deliberately simple algorithm, so it decodes quickly on very modest hardware. It can be converted to MP3, WAV or FLAC for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.
True Audio, released in 2004 with an emphasis on simple, fast decoding.
TTA compresses losslessly with a deliberately simple algorithm, so it decodes quickly on very modest hardware. It found a niche on early portable players that could not manage FLAC comfortably, which is a problem that no longer exists.
What TTA is good at
- Lossless
- Fast decoding on weak processors
- Open and free
Where TTA falls short
- Compresses less well than FLAC
- Very limited support
- The problem it solved has gone away
When to use TTA
Convert TTA to FLAC: smaller files and vastly better support, with nothing lost.
How to open a TTA file
Foobar2000 and VLC.
| Windows | foobar2000 or VLC. |
|---|---|
| macOS | VLC. |
| Linux | VLC or mpv. |
| Phone | Poweramp on Android. |
| In a browser | No browser plays True Audio. |
The thing that usually goes wrong
Both formats are lossless, so this conversion is entirely free of consequences.
Inside a TTA file
True Audio is lossless compression built around a deliberately simple prediction algorithm, which makes it unusually cheap to decode. That was the pitch: FLAC-class compression that a very weak processor could handle, at a time when portable players had very weak processors.
Hardware moved faster than adoption did. By the time TTA was stable, players could decode FLAC comfortably, and the reason to choose TTA evaporated. It retains a following in the Russian-speaking audio community, and most files in circulation come from there.
| Full name | True Audio |
|---|---|
| Magic bytes | 'TTA1' (54 54 41 31) |
| Compression | Lossless, broadly comparable to FLAC |
| Decode cost | Very low — the original selling point |
| Bit depth | Up to 24-bit |
| Hardware support | Rare |
Not sure the file really is a TTA? Identify it by its contents, whatever its extension says.
Questions
What is a TTA file?
TTA stands for True Audio. True Audio, a simple lossless codec. Files use the .tta extension.
What does TTA stand for?
TTA stands for True Audio.
How do I open a TTA file?
On Windows: foobar2000 or VLC. On a Mac: VLC. On a phone: Poweramp on Android. Or convert a TTA here to a format that opens everywhere, free and without uploading it.
Can I convert TTA for free?
Yes. Every conversion here is free and unlimited, because your own device does the work rather than a server we have to pay for.
Is TTA lossless?
Yes. TTA stores every sample exactly, at the cost of a larger file.