When we talk about audio formats, the first one that comes to our minds, is MP3. It is by far the most popular audio format out there. We have been using MP3 for many years now & when it lost patent licensing in 2017, everyone was shocked. However, there ware actual reasons behind that. On the other hand, WAV has always been a super useful audio format that is often used for recording purposes as well. So, what’s the big difference? Why does MP3 is fading away while WAV is present at its full glory? Let’s find out in this WAV vs MP3 comparison.
WAV vs MP3 – What’s The Difference?
WAV & MP3 are both audio file formats but, they are totally different by nature. MP3 is a compressed file format that means the actual audio file is compressed by a large percentage to make the file size smaller. On the other hand, WAV is uncompressed so, the file size is way bigger compare to MP3. WAV actually supports all the frequencies that the human ear can hear so, from 20 Hz – 20 kHz, the entire range is covered. However, MP3 only does up to 18 kHz which means you’re losing some frequency there.
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WAV vs MP3 – Which One Is Better?
With the substantial amount of loss in data & frequency MP3 loses to WAV at a petty massive scale when it comes to audio quality. The audio in WAV format is lossless. This is why WAV is often used for recording purposes. MP3, on the other hand, is compressed audio which a huge loss of quality. And even if you bring a high bitrate MP3 into the equation, WAV will still have the upper hand. That’s why the major platforms adapted AAC which can provide a lot better quality audio with very similar file sizes. MP3 is also incapable of handling 5.1 Stereo Audio which WAV does without any problem.
So, the only advantage that MP3 had was its smaller file size. But, as AAC came full-on into the equation, the advantage wasn’t enough anymore. So, when it comes to being a better audio file format, WAV is way ahead of MP3 & even AAC is significantly better.
But, is MP3 really dead? Well, officially yes but, technically no. People still use it but, not on that massive scale. But, it’s fading away & WAV will still be here when MP3 is completely gone. So, do you still use MP3 or you have moved on? Let us know in the comments section below.
