WAV VS FLV
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Waveform Audio File Format and Flash Video.
WAV
wavUncompressed audio format, studio quality.
Pros
- Lossless uncompressed quality
- Easy to edit
Cons
- Very large file sizes (10MB/min)
- No metadata standard
FLV
flvLegacy streaming container widely used before HTML5 video adoption.
Pros
- Small file sizes
- Progressive playback
- Easy to embed in legacy players
Cons
- Deprecated technology
- No iOS/Android support
- Must be converted for modern browsers
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 FLV wins
Choose FLV when your workflow prioritizes legacy archives or intranet training portals. It delivers small file sizes plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | WAV | FLV |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | audio/wav | video/x-flv |
| Developer | Microsoft & IBM | Macromedia |
| Release Year | 1991 | 2002 |
| Best For | Audio recording, Mastering, Sound design | Legacy archives, Intranet training portals |
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 FLV deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .wav glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use FLV for legacy archives 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.