WAV vs FLAC
WAV and FLAC both deliver lossless, full-quality audio — the key difference is compression. WAV stores raw, uncompressed audio, producing very large files. FLAC compresses that same audio losslessly to roughly half the size and adds support for tags and metadata.
Use WAV for recording, editing, and mastering in a DAW, where uncompressed audio is simplest to work with. Use FLAC for storing and listening to a lossless library — identical quality at about half the file size, plus metadata.
WAV vs FLAC: side-by-side comparison
| Attribute | WAV | FLAC |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Uncompressed | Lossless compression |
| Quality | Full original fidelity | Identical (bit-perfect) |
| File size | Largest | ~50-60% of WAV |
| Metadata / tags | Limited | Rich (artist, album, art) |
| CPU to decode | None | Minimal |
| Best for | Recording, editing, mastering | Lossless storage & listening |
What is WAV and what is FLAC?
WAV
WAV stores raw PCM audio with no compression, so it is bit-for-bit the original recording. That makes it the simplest format for recording and editing in a DAW, but files are huge (about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo) and tagging support is weak.
FLAC
FLAC applies lossless compression to that same audio, shrinking it to roughly half the size while remaining perfectly identical when decoded. It also supports rich metadata and album art, making it the better choice for archiving and a lossless music library.
When to use which
Choose WAV
Choose WAV while recording, editing, and mastering, where uncompressed audio is the convenient working format inside production software.
Choose FLAC
Choose FLAC to store and listen to a lossless collection — same quality as WAV, half the size, with proper tags and artwork.
Convert between these formats
Use our free, browser-based converters: