WAV vs FLAC
How do WAV and FLACcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.wav
Full guide →Waveform Audio File Format
WAV is an uncompressed audio format that stores raw audio data at full quality. It's the standard format for professional audio editing, music production, and any application where quality is paramount.
.flac
Full guide →Free Lossless Audio Codec
FLAC is the leading open-source lossless audio format. It compresses audio files to about 50-60% of their original size without any quality loss — perfect for audiophiles and music archival.
| Specification | WAV | FLAC |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Waveform Audio File Format | Free Lossless Audio Codec |
| Extension | .wav | .flac |
| MIME type | audio/wav | audio/flac |
| Category | Audio | Audio |
| Developer | Microsoft / IBM | Xiph.Org Foundation |
| Year introduced | 1991 | 2001 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
WAV advantages
- Lossless — full audio quality preserved
- Industry standard for audio production
- Simple format — fast to process
- Universal support on all platforms
WAV limitations
- Very large file sizes
- No compression
- No metadata support in basic format
- Not practical for streaming or sharing
FLAC advantages
- Lossless — identical to original audio
- 50-60% smaller than WAV
- Open source and royalty-free
- Excellent metadata and tagging support
FLAC limitations
- Larger than lossy formats like MP3
- Not supported by all portable devices
- Slower to encode than lossy formats
- iTunes/Apple Music prefer ALAC
Which should you use?
Both are excellent audio formats. WAV is preferred for music production and mixing, while FLAC shines at hi-fi music collections.
Best uses for WAV
Best uses for FLAC
Convert between WAV and FLAC
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.