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Shorten (SHN) is a file format used to losslessly compress CD-quality audio files (44.1 kHz 16-bit stereo PCM). It is a compressed data file format similar to ZIP, RAR, and StuffIt but is optimized for compressing audio data. Lossy formats such as Vorbis and MP3 are more typically used as these are usually ten percent of the size of the original file rather than 50-70 percent, but the smaller file size comes at the cost of data loss (which, depending on the quality of the encoding, the playback equipment, the level of ambient noise during playback, and the listener's hearing, may or may not be perceptible). Shorten is no longer developed and more mature lossless audio codecs such as FLAC, MPEG-4 ALS, Monkey's Audio (APE), TTA, and WavPack have become popular recently, although Shorten remains a common format due to the large number of legally tradable concert recordings in circulation that are encoded as Shorten files. Some applications require (and some hi-fi enthusiasts demand) the lossless digital output that such codecs provide. Shorten files use the .SHN file extension.
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