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Why can blank CD’s hold the same length of music at different bitrates?

Dr. Aris Thorne
Dr. Aris Thorne
Senior Science Editor · Mar 20, 2026 · Updated Apr 13, 2026

> why can a CD that can hold 80 minutes of 320 kbps not otherwise hold 200 minutes of 128 kbps? Because CD audio doesn't have a bitrate the way MP3s do. It's raw, uncompressed audio (essentially the same as a .wav file on your computer).

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The Short Answer

> why can a CD that can hold 80 minutes of 320 kbps not otherwise hold 200 minutes of 128 kbps? Because CD audio doesn't have a bitrate the way MP3s do. It's raw, uncompressed audio (essentially the same as a .wav file on your computer). So both the 128 kbps mp3 and the 320 kbps mp3 will be uncompressed and converted to wav format before being written to the CD, at which point their equivalent bitrates are the same.

Analysis

Key Concepts: Kbps, hold, minutes

This explanation focuses on kbps, hold, minutes and spans 75 words across 4 sentences. The depth is typical for Everyday Life questions (category average: 65 words), striking a balance between accessibility and completeness.

What This Answer Covers

The explanation opens with: “> why can a CD that can hold 80 minutes of 320 kbps not otherwise hold 200 minutes of 128 kbps?” It then elaborates by explaining the root cause, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 4 connected points.

How This Compares in Everyday Life

Ranked #170 of 500 Everyday Life questions by answer depth (top 35%). This falls in the detailed tier — above average depth. The explanation goes beyond surface-level but keeps things accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a simple explanation for why blank cd's hold the same length of music at different bitrates?

> why can a CD that can hold 80 minutes of 320 kbps not otherwise hold 200 minutes of 128 kbps? Because CD audio doesn't have a bitrate the way MP3s do. It's raw, uncompressed audio (essentially the same as a .wav file on your computer). So both…

How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Everyday Life questions?

This is an above-average answer at 75 words, ranked #170 of 500 Everyday Life questions by depth. The key concepts covered are kbps, hold, minutes.

What approach does this answer take to explain blank cd's hold the same length of music at different bitrat?

The explanation uses root cause analysis across 75 words. It is categorized under Everyday Life and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.