A reproduction apparatus is provided which is capable of reproducing audio data continuously and unbrokenly, without increasing the storage capacity of a storing means.
An optical pick-up 101 reads audio information from an optical-disk medium 120 and reads, from the optical-disk medium 120, image information recorded in a position different from the audio information; a first audio compression section 104 lowers the capacity of the read audio information; a first audio storage section 105 stores the audio information whose capacity has been lowered; an audio output section 111 reproduces the stored audio information; a first image storage section 114 stores the read image information; an image output section 118 reproduces the stored image information; the audio information includes first audio information and second audio information which is continuously reproduced after the first audio information; and the first audio compression section 104 lowers the capacity of the first audio information, so that the reading of the second audio information is completed before the reproduction of the first audio information is completed, for the period of time when the image information is reproduced.