WAV VS MOV
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Waveform Audio File Format and QuickTime Movie.
WAV
wavUncompressed audio format, studio quality.
Pros
- Lossless uncompressed quality
- Easy to edit
Cons
- Very large file sizes (10MB/min)
- No metadata standard
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
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 MOV wins
Choose MOV when your workflow prioritizes video editing or apple devices. It delivers professional editing standard plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | WAV | MOV |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | audio/wav | video/quicktime |
| Developer | Microsoft & IBM | Apple |
| Release Year | 1991 | 1991 |
| Best For | Audio recording, Mastering, Sound design | Video editing, Apple devices, Post-production |
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 MOV deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .wav glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use MOV for video editing 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.