WAV VS AAC
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Waveform Audio File Format and Advanced Audio Coding.
WAV
wavUncompressed audio format, studio quality.
Pros
- Lossless uncompressed quality
- Easy to edit
Cons
- Very large file sizes (10MB/min)
- No metadata standard
AAC
aacSuccessor to MP3 with better sound quality at similar bit rates.
Pros
- Better quality than MP3
- Standard for YouTube/Apple
Cons
- Lossy compression
- Complex licensing
When WAV wins
Stay with WAV when you need audio recording or mastering. Its strengths center on lossless uncompressed quality and a feature set native to Microsoft & IBM.
When AAC wins
Choose AAC when your workflow prioritizes itunes or youtube audio. It delivers better quality than mp3 plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | WAV | AAC |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | audio/wav | audio/aac |
| Developer | Microsoft & IBM | Bell Labs |
| Release Year | 1991 | 1997 |
| Best For | Audio recording, Mastering, Sound design | iTunes, YouTube Audio, Streaming |
Need to switch?
Where WAV still wins
Keep WAV when you need lossless uncompressed quality and workflows depend on audio recording / mastering. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship AAC deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .wav glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use AAC for itunes while archiving originals as WAV.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.