Free Audio Convert Wizard

Reasons to Convert WAV to MP3

WAV vs. MP3

WAV format, which is also known as Waveform Audio File Format or WAVE is an audio format developed by Microsoft and IBM for storing music on computers. It is widely used for storing audio data and playing uncompressed audio files on Windows systems. WAV files are relatively large in size, compared to other "lossy" formats, such as MP3, WMA, AAC, ATRAC, etc. Uncompressed WAV files possess a relatively high quality level, and some radio broadcasters take advantage of them.

Even though this format is very popular among users who value its simplicity and familiarity, it has one significant drawback. Because WAV files are large in size, they are a little too tough for online transfer. Another problem with this format is that it is unsuitable for storage of files the size of which exceeds 4 GB.

At the same time, MP3 uses a lossy compression algorithm, and hence it is stripped of many data elements that are present in WAV files. MP3 files are received through so called perceptual coding, which results in deletion of a group of data elements that are not perceived by the human ear. Therefore, MP3 files can decently reproduce all basic sound elements that are generally perceived by listeners.

Benefits of Converting WAV to MP3

1. When converting audio files from WAV to MP3 format, the file sizes are immediately reduced saving disk space. You then pack in a whole gamut of MP3 songs into your MP3 player to tote around instead of lugging around a bag of CDs with a portable CD player or laptop.

2. If the sound level of songs in your audio CD is not good, their levels can be balanced and improved during conversion. You also have the option to run the process by selecting one file at a time, or as a batch conversion to save time.

3. Further benefits of converting audio files are the ability to add value. More often than not, some audio CDs comprise a bunch of files with generic names and no further details. You now have the option to add more information such as title, artist, album, year, genre and whatever else relevant during the conversion process. These details are also known as ID3 tags. In the event your original files have existing ID3 tags, they are also maintained during conversion.

Obviously, all these issues oftentimes make users want to convert WAV files to MP3 to save the sound quality.

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