16-bit

In digital data architecture, “16-bit” refers to the number of bits of the integers, memory addresses, and other data units used by the data in question. In the audio world, 16-bit architecture is significant because compact disc format uses 16 bits of fixed point integer data to represent a stereo audio file. For a long time, this was the most common bit depth in the digital audio world — audio interfaces would use 16-bit AD/DA converters, and early digital audio applications natively supported only 16-bit audio. Later, 24-bit and, now, 32-bit floating point have become standards for digital audio processing, even when the final output data is 16-bit.