PCM, or Pulse-Code Modulation, is a digital form of encoding audio signals. It is the standard form of digital audio in computers, CDs, and DVDs. PCM is also used in some digital cameras and camcorders. The advantage of PCM over other forms of digital audio is that it can be easily manipulated by computers and software. For example, PCM can be compressed to save space on storage devices such as hard drives and flash drives.
PCM is not interchangeable with other forms of digital audio such as MP3 or AAC. While PCM can be converted into these formats, the quality will suffer because these formats are designed for compression and not for accurate reproduction of sound.