WAV vs OGG
How do WAV and OGGcompare? 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.
.ogg
Full guide →Ogg Vorbis
OGG (Vorbis) is a free, open-source lossy audio format that offers better quality than MP3 at comparable bitrates. It's widely used in gaming, open-source software, and web audio.
| Specification | WAV | OGG |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Waveform Audio File Format | Ogg Vorbis |
| Extension | .wav | .ogg |
| MIME type | audio/wav | audio/ogg |
| Category | Audio | Audio |
| Developer | Microsoft / IBM | Xiph.Org Foundation |
| Year introduced | 1991 | 2000 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
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
OGG advantages
- Better quality than MP3 at same bitrate
- Completely free and open source
- No patents or licensing fees
- Good streaming support
OGG limitations
- Less universal than MP3
- Not supported by Apple devices natively
- Smaller ecosystem of tools
- Less mainstream recognition
Which should you use?
WAV preserves full audio quality with no compression artifacts. OGG offers much smaller files at the cost of some quality. For casual listening, OGG is fine. For production or archival, use WAV.
Best uses for WAV
Best uses for OGG
Convert between WAV and OGG
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.