Quality · Conversion
What Is Generational Loss?
Each lossy generation throws away a little more of what the last generation still had. That is why editors preach “work from masters” and “export once for delivery.”
Verdict: Generational loss is repeated lossy re-encoding. Prevent it by editing lossless/mezzanine masters and exporting delivery formats a single time.
Classic examples
Screenshot saved as JPG many times; podcast loudness fixes bounced through MP3 repeatedly; social video downloaded and re-uploaded through multiple platforms.
How to avoid it
Keep PNG/TIFF/WAV/FLAC/ProRes (or original camera files) as project media. Convert to JPG/MP3/MP4 only for the final share.
Related myths
JPG→PNG or MP3→WAV between generations does not reset the clock — you still carry prior loss into the next lossy step.
Key points
- Lossy → lossy → lossy stacks damage.
- Masters break the cycle.
- One clean delivery encode beats many recompressions.
Convert with quality in mind
Use these converters when the format change is intentional — processing stays in your browser.
Related quality guides
Related concepts
FAQ
Do lossless generations lose quality?
Standard lossless round-trips should not discard samples. You can still lose quality via intentional resize, color changes, or dithering.
Browse all quality guides or conversion concepts.