VOC is a digital, compressed audio format with a bit resolution of 8 and 16 bits. This format uses the μ-Law and A-Law algorithms to digitize sound. Such sound can be recorded as mono or stereo. VOC files can store, for example, sound samples of instruments or sound effects.

Files with the VOC extension are used by the popular SoundBlaster sound cards from Creative Labs. Compressing these files helps to make them smaller and save space on storage media.