MP3 vs WAV: What Is the Difference for Voiceovers?
MP3 is a compressed (lossy) audio format that makes small files, and WAV is an uncompressed format that keeps all the audio data and makes much larger files. For speech, MP3 is the practical everyday choice and WAV is the choice for editing.
The main differences
- MP3 throws away some audio information to shrink the file. At a normal speech bitrate the loss is hard to hear, and the file is small enough to upload and share quickly.
- WAV stores the audio as it is, usually as PCM. Nothing is lost, and the file is much larger.
File sizes for speech
An MP3 at 128 kbps is about 1 MB per minute. An uncompressed 24 kHz, 16-bit mono WAV is about 2.9 MB per minute, and a stereo file is twice that. Real sizes vary with the settings used.
Which to choose
- MP3 for uploading to video platforms, podcasts, email and phones.
- WAV if you will keep editing, processing or mixing the audio in another program, so that no quality is lost between edits.
Each time a lossy file is edited and saved again, some more quality is lost, which is the reason to edit from WAV where you can.
MP3 and WAV in GetMeAudio
You can download either. The WAV is 24 kHz 16-bit PCM, which suits speech, and the MP3 is a small file ready to publish. Background music, if you add it, is mixed into the file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WAV sound better than MP3?
A WAV keeps all the data, but for spoken voice at a decent bitrate most listeners cannot hear a difference. The bigger benefit of WAV is safer editing.
Which format do phone systems need?
It varies. Many expect a specific sample rate or telephone-quality audio, so check your provider and convert if needed.
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