How to use the MP4 to WAV converter
- Choose your MP4 video or drop it on the box.
- No quality setting needed: WAV is uncompressed.
- Click "Convert to WAV". A progress meter shows how far along it is.
- Download your WAV and listen to it right on the page.
Why convert MP4 to WAV?
WAV gives you the soundtrack of an MP4 as uncompressed audio, ready for editing in Audacity, Premiere, Logic or a DAW without another round of lossy compression.
- MP4: usually lossy, so quality drops a little each time it is re-encoded.
- WAV: no quality loss.
- WAV: accepted by every audio editor.
A WAV is about 10 MB per minute, so expect a much bigger file than the MP4's audio track. That is normal and means nothing was thrown away during the conversion.
MP4 vs WAV
| MP4 | WAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 Part 14 | Waveform Audio File Format |
| Type | Video | Audio |
| Created by | Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) (2001) | Microsoft and IBM (1991) |
| Compression | Lossy | Uncompressed |
| Typical codecs | H.264 + AAC | PCM |
| Best for | Sharing videos online, phone recordings, social media uploads and streaming | Recording, editing, sound effects and mastering |
| Plays on | Windows, macOS, iPhone, Android, smart TVs, game consoles and every modern browser | Every computer and audio editor, most phones and browsers |
Does converting MP4 to WAV lose quality?
The soundtrack is decoded and stored as WAV, which is uncompressed. Nothing more is lost in the conversion, but the WAV cannot be better than the audio that was inside the video.
How long does it take?
Fast. Only the sound is decoded, so even a long video usually converts in well under a minute.
What is an MP4 file?
MP4 is a container that usually holds H.264 or H.265 video with AAC sound. It is built on Apple's QuickTime file structure and became an ISO standard in 2001. Because almost every phone, browser, TV and editing app can play it, MP4 is the safest choice when you need a video to just work.
What is a WAV file?
WAV usually stores raw, uncompressed PCM audio, the same data as an audio CD. Quality is perfect but files are large: about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay or sign up to use the MP4 to WAV converter?
No. There is no account, no payment and no watermark. The only limit is 1 GB per file, set by what browsers can handle.
Do you keep a copy of my files?
We never receive them. All processing happens on your device, so there is nothing for us to store or delete.
Will the WAV sound as good as the MP4?
The soundtrack is decoded and stored as WAV, which is uncompressed. Nothing more is lost in the conversion, but the WAV cannot be better than the audio that was inside the video.
Can I convert WAV back to MP4?
Yes, use the MP4 Converter and choose MP4 as the output.
An MP4 plays without sound. What should I do?
The audio may use a codec your player does not support (for example AC3). Convert it to MP4 again so the sound becomes AAC.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, in Safari, Chrome and other modern mobile browsers. Short files work best on phones; for long or high-resolution videos a computer is faster.