MP3 vs WAV
| Property | MP3 | WAV |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-1 Audio Layer III | Waveform Audio File Format |
| File extensions | .mp3 | .wav, .wave |
| Created by | Fraunhofer IIS and MPEG | Microsoft and IBM |
| Introduced | 1993 | 1991 |
| Compression | Lossy | Usually none: uncompressed PCM |
| Codecs inside | MP3, usually 128–320 kbps | PCM, typically 16-bit at 44.1 or 48 kHz |
| Typical size | About 1 MB per minute at 128 kbps, 2.4 MB at 320 kbps | About 10 MB per minute at CD quality |
| Opens on | Every phone, computer, car stereo, speaker and app | Every computer, phone and audio editor |
| Best for | Music and podcasts that must play anywhere | Recording, editing and archiving master audio |
Why convert MP3 to WAV?
WAV is not better than MP3 by itself; it is simpler. Some programs and devices only read plain PCM: hardware samplers, older audio interfaces and editors, CD-burning software that writes audio CDs, IVR and on-hold phone systems, and some speech-recognition APIs. Converting gives them a file they can use.
Be clear about what you gain. Decoding an MP3 to WAV stores exactly what the MP3 contained, nothing more: frequencies the MP3 removed are not restored. What you do gain is a file that editors can cut and mix instantly and that will not lose anything further if you save it again. Size goes up about tenfold: a 4 MB song becomes roughly 40 MB.
For voice-only uses, tick Mono to halve the size; 22.05 kHz is also offered for speech. Systems that insist on 8 kHz telephone audio need a dedicated editor such as Audacity. For the opposite direction, use WAV to MP3.