20 June 2021

MP3 vs WAV

There are numerous competing encoding algorithms for digital audio files, with the WMA and MP3 format being two of the most popular. Both formats are device compatible and allow for highly customizable compression of audio files to a fraction of their original size. So here this article gives the comparison between MP3 vs WAV to better understand this topic.

Definition of MP3:

MP3 stands for moving picture layer 3, it also called MPEGlayer 3, It was developed by MPEG in the 1990s and has become the most widely used technology for storing audio. This file formats algorithm of the lossy type, which stores a large amount of information while taking up less space.

Related article: MP4 vs MP3

Definition of WAV:

WAV stands for waveform audio file format is the general container format for digital audio. It was created as a collaborative effort between Microsoft and IBM. It is made up of uncompressed raw PCM audio streams. The CD and DVD were in WAV format indicating that the audio quality stored on the CD and DVD is og high quality. It also is demonstrated by the fact that when a CD is inserted into a windows computer, the track icon is displayed by a WAV file.

Related article: WAV VS WMA

MP3 VS WAV | Difference between MP3 and WAV:

  • MP3 stands for moving picture layer 3, and WAV stands for waveform audio file formate 
  • MP3's huge rate of compression can be achieved as compared to WAV.
  • By removing similar data, MP3 can produce the smallest size version of the same file in WAV format. WAV, on the other hand, preserves the audio file quality by making minor changes to the source files.
  • The WAV file is generally larger in size than the MP3 file.
  • The MP3 format severely degrades audio quality, whereas the WAV file retains high quality.
  • Microsoft and IBM collaborated to create WAV. MPEG created MP3, which is a patented format.
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