FLAC VS WAV
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Free Lossless Audio Codec and Waveform Audio File Format.
FLAC
flacOpen-source lossless codec that preserves every bit of the original waveform.
Pros
- Bit-perfect compression
- Fast decoding
- Rich metadata support
Cons
- Larger than MP3/AAC
- Limited support in some DAWs
- Not ideal for low-bandwidth streaming
WAV
wavUncompressed audio format, studio quality.
Pros
- Lossless uncompressed quality
- Easy to edit
Cons
- Very large file sizes (10MB/min)
- No metadata standard
When FLAC wins
Stay with FLAC when you need audiophile libraries or music archiving. Its strengths center on bit-perfect compression and a feature set native to Xiph.Org Foundation.
When WAV wins
Choose WAV when your workflow prioritizes audio recording or mastering. It delivers lossless uncompressed quality plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | FLAC | WAV |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | audio/flac | audio/wav |
| Developer | Xiph.Org Foundation | Microsoft & IBM |
| Release Year | 2001 | 1991 |
| Best For | Audiophile libraries, Music archiving, Hi-res downloads | Audio recording, Mastering, Sound design |
Need to switch?
Where FLAC still wins
Keep FLAC when you need bit-perfect compression and workflows depend on audiophile libraries / music archiving. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship WAV deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .flac glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use WAV for audio recording while archiving originals as FLAC.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.