Convert the sound of an MP4 video to WAV when you are going to work with it: edit it in Audacity or a DAW, clean up a voice, transcribe an interview or use it in another video project. WAV doesn’t compress again, so every edit starts from exactly the audio the video had.
How to convert MP4 to WAV
- Select your MP4 video (up to 100 MB and 30 minutes of sound).
- Click “Convert to WAV”.
- Wait a few seconds while we decode the audio.
- Download the WAV file.
WAV or MP3?
| WAV | MP3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | None (PCM) | Lossy |
| Size | About 10 MB per minute in stereo | About 1.4 MB per minute |
| Best for | Editing, mixing, transcription, archiving | Listening and sharing |
If you just want to listen to the audio or send it, MP4 to MP3 gives you a file seven times smaller that sounds the same. WAV pays off when the audio is going to be processed: every time a compressed file is edited and saved again, it loses a little quality, and a WAV doesn’t.
What the WAV contains
- 16-bit PCM, the format of audio CDs, which any editor, DAW or transcription tool can open.
- The same sample rate and channels as the video’s first audio track (usually 44.1 or 48 kHz, stereo).
- No metadata: the WAV doesn’t carry the title, the date or the location of the video.
The sound of an MP4 is already compressed, so the WAV isn’t better than the video: it is an exact copy of what the video sounds like, without any further loss.
Limitations
- Up to 30 minutes of sound: an uncompressed WAV grows fast (about 300 MB for 30 minutes). For longer recordings, convert to MP3.
- One video at a time, up to 100 MB. A video without sound can’t be converted.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the WAV so much larger than the MP4 video?
Because WAV stores the sound without compression: every second takes the same space, whatever it contains. An MP4 compresses both the image and the sound, so its audio takes up only a small part of what the same audio needs in WAV.
Is a WAV from an MP4 lossless?
The conversion is: the WAV keeps exactly the sound of the video, with no further loss. But the audio of the MP4 was already compressed when the video was recorded, and that can’t be undone.
Which WAV settings do you use?
16-bit PCM with the sample rate and channels of the original audio, usually 44.1 or 48 kHz in stereo. It opens in Audacity, Adobe Audition, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve and any other audio or video editor.
Why is there a 30-minute limit?
Because an uncompressed WAV takes up about 10 MB per minute: 30 minutes is already around 300 MB. For longer audio, MP3 sounds the same for listening and takes up a fraction of the space.