Convert WAV to MP3

WAV is one of the most common audio formats and stands for Waveform Audio File Format. It is intended for operation with digitalized audio stream. Although it has also been used for non-audio data due to its sampling rate (1 Hz to 4.3 GHz). It contains musical compositions, voice recordings, and various audio effects. Developed by programmers from Microsoft and IBM, it is a key audio format for placing of uncompressed sound files on Windows PCs. The wav wave files can be played back in QuickTime, Windows Media Player, Wav Player and some other programs. In addition to that, they can be processed in audio editing apps.

When a file is compressed into WAV, the data are not supposed to be lost, and the quality is excellent. However, the format did not have a huge market share, due to its larger size, as compared with MP3. It is required to have enough time and disc space to upload and send such files via the Internet. One of the major advantages of WAV is linked to the use of Linear Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM) for storage of audio stream. Consequently, a copy is just as good as an original, which is highly appraised by experts in music and professional users.

Sound files with this extension are recorded into 8 or 16 bit per sample. A standard option for CD Audio is an audio stream of 16 bit per sample and sampling frequency of 44.1 KHz. One second of sound corresponds to 88 Kb of internal memory. WAV files can store metadata in the INFO chunk, and they also include integrated IFF lists.

In some cases, the standard format may be used for broadcasting. For instance, BBC stereo data of 44 100 Hz and 16 bit are generally accepted within the VCS system.

MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer-3) is a digital format for storage of audio files as well as for audio streaming. The format was designed by MPEG programmers. It is one of the most required codecs for digital coding. The format is widely used in various file-sharing sites for evaluation downloading.

Due to lossy compression in this audio format, it is possible to compress CD tracks up to 1/10 of their original size while maintaining high playback quality. Moreover, it can be encoded at higher or lower bit rates to adjust the resulting quality. Overtones, which cannot be perceived by a human ear, are removed. Complex algorithms allow for smaller size of tracks. As a result, one compact disk can contain several hundred songs. MP3 is compatible with all most popular operating systems and supported by the most of modern DVD-players and music systems.

Prior to MP3 introduction, MPEG-1 had been widely used. That format contained not only audio data, but images as well. MP3 breaks an audio file into parts of the same length. When the processing is over, each part is packed into its own frame. It involves the technology of spectral limit that requires a continuous input signal to provide the use of two adjacent frames.

When spectral deleting is over, the file is to be compressed with mathematic methods. If necessary, compression rate can be changed, even inside the same frame. Files of 128 kbit/s have 11-fold compression. Further reduction of the file size will lead to significant deterioration in sound quality.