MP3 vs WAV vs FLAC vs M4A vs OGG: Audio Formats Compared

Last reviewed October 12, 2026

Audio formats fall into two families: lossy formats that throw away detail you are unlikely to hear to make files small, and lossless formats that keep everything. Knowing which is which makes it easy to pick the right one for the job.

Lossy and lossless in one minute

A lossy format (MP3, M4A, OGG) analyses the sound and removes parts that are masked by louder ones. The files are small, and at a decent bitrate most people cannot tell the difference. A lossless format (WAV, FLAC) stores the sound without discarding anything, so the file is much bigger but can be turned back into the exact original.

MP3

The most widely supported audio format in the world. It plays on phones, cars, speakers, game consoles and every piece of software. At 192 to 256 kbps it sounds very good for most music, and 128 kbps is enough for speech. Choose MP3 when compatibility matters most.

M4A (AAC)

M4A usually holds AAC audio, a newer lossy codec that sounds better than MP3 at the same bitrate or gives the same quality in a smaller file. It is the standard on Apple devices and works on most modern players. Choose M4A for a bit more quality in the same space, when you know your devices support it.

OGG

OGG is an open, patent-free format with efficient lossy compression. It is popular in games, open source software and browsers. Support in older car stereos and some Apple software is patchy, so test it on the device you need.

WAV

WAV is uncompressed audio, the raw material of music production. A three minute song is around 30 MB. It is perfect for editing and mastering, where you do not want any loss, and a poor choice for sharing or storing large collections.

FLAC

FLAC compresses audio without loss, typically to about half the size of the same audio as WAV. It is the usual choice for music archives and audiophile listening. It is supported by most desktop players and many phones, though not by every older device.

Which should you pick?

Sharing or everyday listening: MP3 or M4A.
Podcasts and voice recordings: MP3 or M4A at 96 to 128 kbps.
Editing a recording: WAV.
Archiving a music collection: FLAC.
Web or game projects: OGG, with MP3 as a fallback.

Remember that converting from a lossy format to another lossy format loses a little more quality each time, and converting an MP3 to FLAC or WAV does not bring back what was removed. Always convert from the best original you have.

To convert a file, open the Media tool, choose the target format and press Convert. To keep only the sound of a video, follow the guide on extracting audio from a video.

Try it now

Open the Media tool. It is free, needs no account, and your files are deleted right after conversion.