MP3 vs WAV: compressed or lossless audio?
MP3 and WAV represent two ends of the audio spectrum. WAV stores uncompressed, lossless sound; MP3 compresses it into a much smaller file. The right choice depends on whether you are editing or sharing.
| MP3 | WAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Uncompressed (lossless) |
| File size | Small | Large |
| Quality | Very good at higher bitrates | Original, full quality |
| Best for | Sharing, streaming, devices | Editing and mastering |
| Editing repeatedly | Adds loss each export | No quality loss |
Verdict
Choose WAV while editing or when you need archival quality, and MP3 when you want a small, easy-to-share file. A 192–320 kbps MP3 sounds great for most listening.