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When to Use MP3, WAV or Mono Audio

Guide ยท about 6 minutes to read

Audio files come in many formats, and the right choice depends on where the sound is going. A podcast, a video, a game and a website each have different needs. This guide explains the main choices and how to make them with ManyEdit.

MP3 or WAV?

MP3 is compressed, so it's much smaller than the original recording. It's the usual choice for music, podcasts and anything you share online, because it's small and plays almost everywhere.

WAV is uncompressed. It keeps every detail of the recording, which makes it the better choice for editing in another program, for video work, or for archiving. The files are large, so use them when quality matters more than size.

A simple rule: use WAV while you're working on a project, and export MP3 when it's finished and needs to be shared.

Join files into one

The merge audio tool joins several files in the order you choose. Add your clips, arrange them, then save as MP3 for sharing or WAV for further editing. Check the join points by listening, and trim any silence at the start or end of each clip with the trim tool first.

Mono or stereo?

Stereo has two channels, so sounds can come from the left or right. Mono has one channel and is half the data.

The mono and stereo tool converts a file in either direction.

Choose a sample rate

The sample rate sets the highest tone the file can hold. 44,100 Hz is the standard for music, 48,000 Hz is common in video, and 22,050 Hz is fine for speech when file size matters. Raising the rate of a file doesn't add detail that wasn't recorded, so match it to your source.

Record first if you need to

If you don't have a file, the audio recorder captures your microphone and saves a WAV file. Record somewhere quiet and listen back before you move on.

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