WAV vs FLAC vs ALAC: Lossless Audio Format Comparison
Lossless audio preserves full quality but formats differ in compression, metadata support, and compatibility. Compare WAV, FLAC, and ALAC.
Key Takeaways
- WAV stores raw PCM audio data with minimal compression.
- FLAC compresses audio by 50-60% compared to WAV with zero quality loss.
- ALAC provides similar compression to FLAC but is Apple's proprietary format.
- Use FLAC for archival and non-Apple playback.
BPM Calculator
WAV: Uncompressed Standard
WAV stores raw PCM audio data with minimal compression. File sizes are large (about 10 MB per minute for CD quality) but decoding is instant because there's nothing to decompress. WAV is universally supported.
FLAC: Free Lossless Audio Codec
FLAC compresses audio by 50-60% compared to WAV with zero quality loss. The original waveform is perfectly reconstructed on playback. FLAC supports metadata, album art, and up to 8 channels.
ALAC: Apple Lossless
ALAC provides similar compression to FLAC but is Apple's proprietary format. It's natively supported in iTunes, Apple Music, and iOS devices. ALAC is now open-source but sees less adoption outside the Apple ecosystem.
Comparison
| Feature | WAV | FLAC | ALAC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | None | ~50-60% | ~50-60% |
| Quality | Lossless | Lossless | Lossless |
| Metadata | Basic | Excellent | Good |
| Apple support | Yes | No (natively) | Yes |
| Android support | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Streaming | No | Yes | Yes |
Recommendation
Use FLAC for archival and non-Apple playback. Use ALAC for Apple-centric workflows. Use WAV for audio editing (universal DAW compatibility) and as a master format.
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