WAV FAQ
What It IsWAV is a file format developed by Microsoft and IBM for use on the PC. The format was built into the Windows 95 operating system and quickly became a standard. The format ends with the .wav file extension.
Uses of the WAV Format
WAV files are typically large in file size due to the high quality the format and are used for CDs. An average pop music song is around 50MB in size. WAV files can be made smaller and converted to MP3 format through a process called encoding. This process always yields some kind of quality degradation, depending on how much compression is applied. When MP3 is converted to WAV, the process is called decoding. When MP3 is decoded to WAV, there is no increase in sound quality whatsoever, the file merely increases in size and can be read by common CD players. CD rippers (or CD recorders / extractors), are software programs that record CD audio to WAV format on your hard drive.
WAV format is necessary for editing sound files. Technically, MP3 cannot be edited to remove defects or add effects, it must first be converted to WAV format. A WAV editor is needed to alter the WAV file. Some programs like Virtuosa Gold include a WAV editor in the program.There is one program that will actually compress WAV files without a loss in sound quality. Monkey's Audio compresses WAV files to as much as 60% of the original file size. Files are then saved in .ape format and can only be read by a few compatible players. The program is free and great for those who want to store high quality sound files and want to maximize data storage space at the same time.
WMA FAQ
What It IsWMA is a file format developed by Microsoft to compete with MP3. The letters stand for Windows Media Audio and the file format ends with the .wma extension.
Is WMA Better Than MP3?The latest release of WMA technology is version 8 which is the best yet. I believe WMA files produce better sounding files than MP3 at similar bitrates. My entire music collection is encoded in WMA 8 format at 128kbps and it satisfies my picky ears. The drawbacks of WMA is that it is a proprietary format meaning that Microsoft charge whatever fees they wish to developers that want to incorporate support for the format in their software. The format also incorporates differing levels of copyright protection which angers some users, limiting them to what they can do with their own music. However for simple encoding and archiving for a jukebox collection, it suffices.
How Do I Make WMA Files?Making WMA files requires a WMA encoder. Windows Media Player comes with a free CD ripper and WMA encoder, enabling you to easily convert CD audio to WMA on your computer. For more advanced WMA converting and organizing tools, see our WMA converter section. |
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