MP4 to WAV Converter
To convert MP4 to WAV here, drop the video on the page: the soundtrack is decoded and saved as uncompressed 16-bit audio at its own sample rate, and the video is never uploaded. The page opens already set to WAV, and you can switch to MP3 or M4A if you change your mind.
- Free
- No sign-up
- No watermark
- Runs in your browser
Loading the tool.
What the WAV from an MP4 contains
A WAV stores sound as plain samples, so its size depends only on the sample rate, the number of channels and the length. How small the AAC audio in your MP4 was no longer matters. This page keeps the sample rate and the channels of your file and writes every sample as 16 bits. The table gives the size of one minute for four common layouts.
| Soundtrack in the MP4 | WAV the page writes | Size per minute |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo, 48 kHz | 16-bit, 48,000 samples a second, 2 channels | 11.52 MB |
| Stereo, 44.1 kHz | 16-bit, 44,100 samples a second, 2 channels | 10.58 MB |
| Mono, 48 kHz | 16-bit, 48,000 samples a second, 1 channel | 5.76 MB |
| Mono, 16 kHz | 16-bit, 16,000 samples a second, 1 channel | 1.92 MB |
Each size is the sample rate times the channels times 2 bytes times 60 seconds. A 5-minute stereo clip at 48 kHz comes to 57.6 MB and an hour of it to 691.2 MB, plus a 44-byte header at the start of the file. Under the format choice the page shows the estimate for your own file before you press Convert.
What the AAC in an MP4 becomes in a WAV
The sound in an MP4 is usually AAC. The page decodes it and writes the samples out as 16-bit PCM, the plain format WAV files use. The WAV adds no compression of its own, so it holds the sound exactly as the AAC decodes. It cannot bring back detail that AAC removed when the video was made. For that you would need the original recording the video was made from.
No bitrate to choose and no encoder to download
MP3 and M4A come with a bitrate menu, and WAV has none, because 16-bit PCM is always the sample rate times the channels times 16 bits. MP3 output also loads a small WebAssembly encoder on the first conversion. WAV needs no download of that kind, since the page writes the file itself, so nothing has to be fetched before a WAV conversion starts.
Big files and how to keep one smaller
WAV is the largest audio format this tool writes, and the file is built in memory until you download it. An hour of stereo at 48 kHz is 691.2 MB, which can fill the memory of a phone. Turn on Only part of it and type a start and an end to write just the section you need, or switch the format to MP3 for a much smaller file.
Questions people ask
How do I convert MP4 to WAV?
Drop the MP4 on the box. WAV is already selected on this page, so press Convert to WAV. The page decodes the soundtrack and writes a 16-bit PCM file at the sample rate and channel count your video has. The result plays on the page before you download it.
Is converting MP4 to WAV lossless?
The WAV step adds no compression, but the AAC audio in the MP4 was already compressed when the video was made. The WAV holds the sound as AAC decodes it, so nothing that AAC removed comes back. What you gain is a file that editing and transcription programs can read as plain samples.
Why is my WAV so much bigger than the MP4?
A WAV has no compression and the audio in an MP4 does. One minute of stereo at 48 kHz is 11.52 MB as WAV, while the same minute as AAC at 192 kbps would take 1.44 MB. The size line under the format choice shows the WAV size before you start.
Can I make a WAV from only part of an MP4?
Yes. Turn on Only part of it, drag the handles on the timeline or type a start and an end time, and only that stretch is written. Times work to a tenth of a second, and the size line updates as you move the handles.
From raw audio to finished clips
A WAV is raw sound for an editor or a transcription program. If the job is making short clips out of a spoken video, GPT-Video transcribes the speech, times each word and renders the captions into vertical clips. Making clips happens on our servers and uses credits.
Related
Your file is processed on your device and never uploaded.