MOV VS WAV
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between QuickTime Movie and Waveform Audio File Format.
MOV
movMultimedia framework developed by Apple, common in editing.
Pros
- Professional editing standard
- Alpha channel support (ProRes)
- High quality
Cons
- Large file sizes
- Compatibility issues on Windows
WAV
wavUncompressed audio format, studio quality.
Pros
- Lossless uncompressed quality
- Easy to edit
Cons
- Very large file sizes (10MB/min)
- No metadata standard
When MOV wins
Stay with MOV when you need video editing or apple devices. Its strengths center on professional editing standard and a feature set native to Apple.
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 | MOV | WAV |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | video/quicktime | audio/wav |
| Developer | Apple | Microsoft & IBM |
| Release Year | 1991 | 1991 |
| Best For | Video editing, Apple devices, Post-production | Audio recording, Mastering, Sound design |
Need to switch?
Where MOV still wins
Keep MOV when you need professional editing standard and workflows depend on video editing / apple devices. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship WAV deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .mov glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use WAV for audio recording while archiving originals as MOV.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.