Sample bit depth - GCSE Computer Science Definition

Sample bit depth refers to how many bits are used to represent the sound in each sample of a digital audio recording. In simpler terms, it's like the number of colours in a picture—more bits mean more detail and accuracy in the sound. For example, CD quality audio often uses a bit depth of 16 bits, which can capture a wide range of sounds from very quiet to very loud. A higher bit depth can make the sound clearer and more detailed, but it also makes the file size bigger. Understanding bit depth is important in GCSE computer science as it helps explain how computers store and process sound information.