| VBR | CBR Bitrate +- 10% | Supported Channels | Recommended Use |
| Low | *96kbits/s | Mono Joint Stereo Stereo |
Near CD-Quality Good choice for portable MP3 Players (smallest file size). Use when storage space is a consideration; when playback is performed with low-end sound equipment and listening environment such as portable players or car players. |
| Normal/Low | 112kbits/s | Mono Joint Stereo Stereo |
CD-Quality Best choice for portable MP3 Players where file size is limited. |
| Normal | 128kbits/s | Mono Joint Stereo Stereo |
CD-Quality Best choice for most users. Normal use; similar to encoding moderately difficult to difficult content with a CBR of 128kbits/s. |
| Normal/High | 160kbits/s | Mono Joint Stereo Stereo |
Archival Quality For high-end stereos (larger file size). Compromise between Normal and High settings. |
| High | 192kbits/s | Mono Joint Stereo Stereo |
Archival Quality For highest-end stereos unlimited file size. Use when storage space is not a consideration; when playback is performed with high-end sound equipment and listening environment; and when heavy equalization adjustments might be used on playback. |
*High Frequency not supported at this rate