Provided is an audio encoding method. The audio encoding method includes: acquiring envelopes based on a predetermined sub-band for an audio spectrum; quantizing the envelopes based on the predetermined sub-band; and obtaining a difference value between quantized envelopes for adjacent sub-bands and lossless encoding a difference value of a current sub-band by using a difference value of a previous sub-band as a context. Accordingly, the number of bits required to encode envelope information of an audio spectrum may be reduced in a limited bit range, thereby increasing the number of bits required to encode an actual spectral component.