Technology

Difference Between WMA and WAV

WMA and WAV are two types of formats that are used to store audio information in a digital format and although they have the same purpose, they are very different from each other, the main difference being the way in which the data is encoded. WAV is a lossless codec, while in WMA some information data that humans can barely perceive is lost in order to save storage space. For this very reason of sound degradation, the WMA format is rarely used for audio edits. Difference Between WMA and WAV

WMA Difference Between WMA and WAV

Along with lossy decoding, WMA also compresses the final file. These techniques that it uses in its decoding process allow you to create files that are approximately 10% the size of files created by WAV. This creates two effects on the performance of the device where the audio is played. The first is that storage space is saved and the other is that more processing power is required to be able to decompress and decode the actual data, although this is not very significant for the processing power of most modern devices.

WAV

This audio format was one of the most popular a decade ago as the default of the Microsoft Windows operating system. Nowadays it is no longer widely used, especially due to the size of its files, since storage space is always limited. For this reason most people prefer formats that are balanced between loss of sound and file size, such as FLAC, MP4, and even WMA.

Key differences between WMA and WAV:

  1. WMA is a lossy codec, while WAV is not.
  2. First one is compressed and second one is not.
  3. First one needs more processing power and second one needs more storage space.
  4. First one is widely used, but second one is rarely used today.

See More

Mohammad Asif Goraya

M A Goraya has qualification of M.phil in Agricultural Sciences. He has almost 15 years of teaching Experience at college and university level. He likes to share his research based knowledge with his students and audience.

Recent Posts

Difference Between Summary and Conclusion with Proper Definition and Brief Explanation

Main Difference - Summary vs Conclusion Summary and conclusion are two terms that are often…

1 year ago

Difference between Moth and Butterfly

Difference between moth and butterfly fall into two categories: anatomical and behavioral. Most moths are…

1 year ago

Difference Between Architect and Engineer

An engineer is a person whose job is to design and build engines, machines, roads,…

2 years ago

Difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web

Internet is the term used to identify the massive interconnection of computer networks around the…

2 years ago

Difference Between CD-R and CD-RW

A CD-R is a type of disc that does not contain any data. It is blank…

2 years ago

Difference between x86 and x64

Computing technologies are constantly evolving, and if we base our predictions on Moore's Law, they…

2 years ago