19 December 2022

WAV Vs WMA | Difference | Comparison

WAV audio files are uncompressed, which makes them different from WMA files. Encoding does not degrade the sound quality because the file is kept in its original format. So let's debate WAV Vs WMA  to understand more about it.

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What is WAV?

The WAV stands for waveform audio file format. The common container format for digital audio is WAV, which stands for waveform audio file format. It was produced by cooperation between IBM and Microsoft. Uncompressed raw PCM audio streams make up the majority of it. The fact that the CD and DVD were in the WAV format suggests that the audio included on the CD and DVD is of a high calibre. Another illustration is the fact that when a CD is inserted into a Windows PC, the track icon is a WAV file.

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What is WMA?

The WMA stands for windows media audio. Microsoft created the audio data compression system known as Windows media audio or WMA. It is identical to MP3 and is even seen as a rival to the well-known MP3 format. It is a lossless compressed audio format, making music transfers to other people simple. they often have a file format with considerable quality degradation and are frequently smaller than 5MB.

Learn more about MP3 vs WAV

WAV Vs WMA | Difference between WAV and WMA:

  • WAV is an uncompressed audio format while WMA is a compressed audio format.
  • WAV usually encodes data using LPCM while WMA stores encoded data such as MP3 files.
  • While WMA uses lossy audio files, WAV uses lossless audio files.
  • WAV has a frequency response of about 22 kHz while WMA has a maximum frequency response of about 18 kHz.
  • WAV holds uncompressed data, hence it takes up more storage space than WMA.
  • While WMA cannot produce continuous loops, WAV can.
  • The file name extension of WAV is .wav while the WMA extension is .wma.
  • WAV supports more devices compared to WMA. WMA only supports recent devices.
  • WAV is compatible with most devices. WMA is more compatible with newer devices.
  • WAV is allow users to have a seamless loop without a gap. While WMA's lack of pause will result in quality loss. 
  • WAV is an old audio format that is also used for CDs therefore it can be used with a lot of devices. WMA only supports recent devices such as music players. 
Thank you for reading this article. Still, if you have any questions or queries in your mind on the WAV Vs WMA then please ask us in the comment section below.

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