MP3 vs WAV vs FLAC vs M4A: Which Should You Use?
A plain-English comparison of the four common audio formats: sound quality, file size, device support and which one to pick for music, podcasts and editing.
Quick answer: use MP3 for sharing and compatibility, M4A for Apple devices, FLAC to keep music in lossless quality with smaller files, and WAV for editing.
The four formats at a glance
| Format | Type | Size of a 4-minute song | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Lossy | ~5-6 MB (192 kbps) | Sharing, phones, cars, everything |
| M4A (AAC) | Lossy | ~5-6 MB | iPhone, iTunes, YouTube Music |
| FLAC | Lossless | ~20-30 MB | Collections, audiophiles |
| WAV | Uncompressed | ~40 MB | Editing, studios |
Lossy vs lossless
Lossy formats (MP3, M4A, OGG) throw away sound most people cannot hear to make small files. Lossless formats (FLAC) keep everything and still compress. WAV is raw audio with no compression.
Which should you choose?
- Sending a song or voice note to someone: MP3. It plays on every device.
- Listening on an iPhone or Apple Watch: M4A.
- Archiving CDs or high-quality tracks: FLAC.
- Editing in a video or audio editor: WAV.
- Podcasts: MP3 at 96-128 kbps for speech.
Converting between them
Use the free Audio Converter: upload your file, choose MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG or FLAC, and download. Converting from a lossy file to a lossless one cannot bring back lost detail, so start from the best source you have.
Need only part of a track? Cut it with the Audio Cutter. Need the sound from a video? Use Video to MP3.
Bitrate in one paragraph
Bitrate is how much data per second a lossy file uses. 128 kbps is fine for speech, 192 kbps is great for most music, and 320 kbps is the highest common MP3 setting. Above 192 kbps most listeners cannot tell the difference on normal earphones.
What about video audio?
The sound inside a video is usually AAC. Extract it as MP3 if you need compatibility, or as M4A to avoid re-encoding twice.