MP3 vs M4A vs WAV vs FLAC vs OGG: Which Audio Format to Use
Voice memos arrive as M4A, your recorder makes WAV, a music download is FLAC, and the app you're uploading to wants MP3. Audio formats look confusing, but they fall into two simple groups: lossless and lossy. Once you know which is which, choosing becomes easy.
Lossless vs lossy
- Lossless formats keep every detail of the original sound. Files are large. Examples: WAV, AIFF, FLAC.
- Lossy formats remove sounds the ear is unlikely to notice, making files many times smaller. Examples: MP3, AAC/M4A, OGG (Vorbis or Opus).
Converting from lossless to lossy loses some detail. Converting from lossy to lossless doesn't bring it back; it just makes a bigger file.
The common formats
| Format | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Lossy | Sharing and playing anywhere |
| M4A (AAC) | Lossy | Apple devices, phones; good quality at small sizes |
| OGG (Opus/Vorbis) | Lossy | Web and apps that support it; efficient |
| WAV | Lossless, uncompressed | Recording and editing |
| AIFF | Lossless, uncompressed | Editing on Apple software |
| FLAC | Lossless, compressed | Archiving music at about half the size of WAV |
Which bitrate?
For lossy formats, bitrate decides quality and size:
- 128 kbps: fine for speech: podcasts, lectures, voice notes.
- 192 kbps: sounds great for music and keeps files reasonable.
- 320 kbps: the maximum for MP3; useful when quality matters most.
Above 192 kbps, most people can't hear a difference on everyday headphones, but files keep growing.
Convert audio
- Open the Audio Converter and add your files.
- Choose MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF or OGG.
- Choose the quality.
- Optionally open Sample rate and channels to change the sample rate or make the audio mono.
- Convert and download.
The converter can also open Dolby Digital and DTS film sound. Browsers can't create FLAC files, so for lossless output choose WAV.
For the most common case, iPhone voice memos or iTunes music in M4A that must become MP3, there's a dedicated M4A to MP3 converter.
Check what a file really contains
The file extension doesn't always tell the full story. Video Info also works for audio: it shows the codec, bitrate, sample rate, channels and duration.
Rules for converting without making things worse
- Convert from the best source you have. Converting an MP3 to another MP3 loses a little more each time.
- Don't "upgrade" by converting. A 128 kbps MP3 converted to 320 kbps or WAV sounds the same, just bigger.
- Edit in WAV, share in MP3 or M4A.
- Keep the originals.
Mono for speech
Speech recordings rarely need stereo. Saving them as mono halves the size of a WAV and makes compressed files a little smaller. If sound is only in one ear, use a channel tool to put it in both.
Which format for which job
- Sharing a voice note or lecture: MP3 at 128 kbps, mono if it's just speech.
- Sending music to a friend: MP3 at 192 kbps or M4A.
- Uploading a podcast: MP3 at 128–192 kbps, after normalising loudness.
- Editing in an audio program: WAV, then export the final version as MP3 or M4A.
- Archiving a music collection: keep lossless files (FLAC or WAV) as your masters.
- Using on a website: MP3 or M4A for wide support; OGG (Opus) where it's supported.
Common questions
Is M4A better than MP3? At the same bitrate, AAC (inside M4A) usually sounds a little better than MP3. MP3 is more universally supported.
What sample rate should I use? 44.1 kHz (music) or 48 kHz (video) are standard. For speech, lower rates save space.
Can I convert a whole album? Yes, add all the files at once.
Private
Conversion runs in your browser; your audio is never uploaded.