YouTube music quality vs downloaded MP3- which is better? Subjective listening test!

Wondering if music on YouTube videos have as good audio quality as a dedicated MP3 file? You've come to the right place.

I have used Charlie Puth's One Call Away song for comparison. Using Audio Technica M50x headphones I listened to both the YouTube version as well as a 320kbps MP3 version of the song.

While the difference is not exactly Night and Day, there is a significant better sound stage to the MP3 file. Music is louder, more vibrant and can easily make out the subtle nuances far better than the YouTube video.

So there you have it. If you want the better quality audio go for a high bit-rate MP3.