Abstract: A method and an apparatus for encoding digital audio data with reduced bit rates, the apparatus having a provider of psycho-acoustically quantized digital audio data with a bit rate being higher than the reduced bit rate. The apparatus further has an identifier for identifying a frequency band according to a selection criterion, the selection criterion being such that an impact on the quality of the digital audio data when the data in the identified frequency band is replaced by generated noise is smaller than the impact on the quality of the digital audio data, which would arise when the data in a different frequency band is replaced by generated noise. The apparatus further has a replacer for replacing data in the identified frequency band of the digital audio data by a noise synthesis parameter.