WAV audio export — Settings and quality

WAV audio export — Settings and quality: Only sample rate and channels change a WAV export, because the format is uncompressed 16-bit PCM with no bitrate.

Audio

Convert audio to WAV

Choose a file, adjust the edit, preview the result, and export it.

Or drop an MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OGG, Opus, or WebM audio file anywhere on this page.

Processed audio will appear here.

Worked example

Only sample rate and channels change a WAV export, because the format is uncompressed 16-bit PCM with no bitrate.

The choice is a storage trade. Stereo at 44.1 kHz costs 10.58 MB per minute, at 48 kHz 11.52 MB, at 32 kHz 7.68 MB. Mono halves each: 5.29 MB at 44.1 kHz and 2.65 MB at 22.05 kHz. A one-hour stereo interview is about 635 MB at 44.1 kHz and 691 MB at 48 kHz.

Match the destination. Choose 48 kHz when the WAV goes into a video project, since video editors normally work at 48 kHz and will otherwise resample it. Choose 44.1 kHz for music that ends on CD or streaming masters. Choose Mono for one speaker, which halves the file without losing anything. Keep source if you do not know the destination.

The classic mistake is picking a higher sample rate than the source to improve quality. A 22.05 kHz recording exported at 48 kHz is more than twice the size and has the same content, because new samples are interpolated, not recovered. The opposite mistake, 22.05 kHz for a music file, cuts everything above about 11 kHz.

Settle it with arithmetic: multiply minutes by the figure for your rate and channels, compare with the receiving drive, and run a 30-second test before the full file. Note the chosen rate and channels beside the file name so the setting can be repeated on the next batch.

Input

60 s × 44100 Hz × 2 channels × 16 bit

Output

10,584,000 PCM bytes before container overhead

There is no 24-bit or 96 kHz option; the output is always 16-bit PCM.

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How to use WAV audio export — Settings and quality
  1. Choose the media file for WAV audio export — Settings and quality.
  2. Select the edit, conversion, or timing option and preview the result.
  3. Render the output and download it when it is ready.

Quick answers

What does WAV audio export — Settings and quality do?

WAV audio export — Settings and quality: Only sample rate and channels change a WAV export, because the format is uncompressed 16-bit PCM with no bitrate.

How do I use WAV audio export — Settings and quality?

Choose the media file for WAV audio export — Settings and quality. Select the edit, conversion, or timing option and preview the result. Render the output and download it when it is ready.

What can I do with the WAV audio export — Settings and quality result?

The completed media file is available to preview and download; multiple results can be bundled when the tool produces more than one file.

What should I listen for in the exported audio?

Play the beginning, end, and each edited transition in the downloaded file. Check that speech is not cut off, fades sound natural, and louder sections do not distort. Converting a compressed recording to WAV does not restore information already lost. Keep the source and choose an output format accepted by the destination service.