An encoding device comprising: an encoding unit configured to be supplied with audio signals of one or more channels and identification information indicating whether or not an audio signal is to be encoded, and to encode an audio signal in units of frames, wherein the identification information indicates, per channel and per frame, if an audio signal is to be encoded, and wherein the encoding unit is further configured to encode an audio signal of a particular channel in a particular frame when the identification information indicates that encoding of said audio signal is to be performed, and not to encode an audio signal of a particular channel in a particular frame when the identification information indicates that encoding of said audio signal is not to be performed; a packing unit configured to generate a bit stream containing a first bit stream element in which the identification information is stored, and multiple second bit stream elements in each of which an audio signal of one channel encoded according to the identification information is stored; and an identification information generation unit configured to generate the identification information according to the audio signal, said identification information indicating that encoding is not to be performed when the audio signal is a signal capable of being regarded as a silent signal, wherein the identification information generation unit is configured to determine whether or not the audio signal is a signal capable of being regarded as a silent signal if the amplitude of an audio signal is smaller than that of an audio signal of the same frame in another channel and if a sound source position that outputs sound of the audio signal is close to that of the another audio signal of the another channel. an encoding unit configured to be supplied with audio signals of one or more channels and identification information indicating whether or not an audio signal is to be encoded, and to encode an audio signal in units of frames, wherein the identification information indicates, per channel and per frame, if an audio signal is to be encoded, and wherein the encoding unit is further configured to encode an audio signal of a particular channel in a particular frame when the identification information indicates that encoding of said audio signal is to be performed, and not to encode an audio signal of a particular channel in a particular frame when the identification information indicates that encoding of said audio signal is not to be performed; a packing unit configured to generate a bit stream containing a first bit stream element in which the identification information is stored, and multiple second bit stream elements in each of which an audio signal of one channel encoded according to the identification information is stored; and an identification information generation unit configured to generate the identification information according to the audio signal, said identification information indicating that encoding is not to be performed when the audio signal is a signal capable of being regarded as a silent signal, wherein the identification information generation unit is configured to determine whether or not the audio signal is a signal capable of being regarded as a silent signal if the amplitude of an audio signal is smaller than that of an audio signal of the same frame in another channel and if a sound source position that outputs sound of the audio signal is close to that of the another audio signal of the another channel.