.opus

What is a .opus file?

Opus is a modern, royalty-free audio codec — excellent quality at low bitrates, the standard for VoIP and web streaming.

Safe format
Type Audio
By IETF / Xiph.Org
MIME audio/opus

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What is it

You're listening to a voice call on WhatsApp, Discord, or Zoom. The audio codec is almost certainly Opus. Designed from the ground up for both voice and music, Opus delivers remarkable quality at bitrates that would make MP3 sound like a tin can phone — voice calls at 32 kbps sound natural, and music at 128 kbps rivals MP3 at 192 kbps.

Opus was standardised by the IETF in 2012, combining technology from Skype's SILK codec (voice) and Xiph.org's CELT codec (music). It switches between them seamlessly depending on the content. The format is royalty-free, open-source, and technically superior to every proprietary alternative — which is why virtually every VoIP application adopted it. Firefox and Chrome play Opus natively in the browser.

VLC plays .opus files on every platform. Firefox and Chrome handle Opus in web audio. For converting Opus to MP3 (for older devices that don't support it), <a href="https://fwip.app/tools/opus-to-mp3/">fwip</a> handles it in the browser. If you're encoding audio for web streaming or voice applications, Opus at 96–128 kbps is the best quality-per-bit available today.

Technical details
Full Name
Opus Audio
MIME Type
audio/opus
Developer
IETF / Xiph.Org
Magic Bytes
4F 67 67 53
Safety
.opus is a known, safe format.
What opens it
VLC
FREE All
Firefox / Chrome
FREE All
Foobar2000
FREE Windows
Convert with fwip

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FAQ
Is Opus better than MP3?
Yes, at every bitrate. Opus at 128 kbps sounds as good as MP3 at 192-256 kbps. It also handles voice better than MP3, which was designed primarily for music. The only reason to use MP3 is compatibility with very old devices.
How do I convert Opus to MP3?
Use fwip to convert instantly in your browser. VLC can also convert via Media → Convert/Save. Choose MP3 at 320 kbps to preserve as much quality as possible.
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