What happens when you convert MOV to WAV
- WAV holds sound only, so the picture is discarded and the soundtrack is encoded as 16-bit PCM, the same sample rate as the source.
- If the MOV has several audio tracks, the first one is used.
How to convert MOV to WAV online
- Press "Choose MOV files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
- Adjust the settings if you need to: the bitrate controls quality and size. The defaults suit most people.
- Press "Convert to WAV". The first audio or video conversion downloads the converter engine, about 32 MB, which your browser then keeps for next time.
- Save each WAV with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert MOV to WAV?
MOV files usually come from iPhone recordings, Final Cut Pro and screen recordings on Mac. People convert them to WAV because WAV opens in every audio editor and is what many phone systems, samplers and broadcast tools require.
In short, MOV is good at what it was made for, and WAV is the more practical choice when the file has to play on another device or app. MOV plays in Safari; Chrome plays most MOV files that use H.264, while WAV plays in every browser and audio editor.
How to convert MOV to WAV on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your MOV files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each WAV is saved to your Downloads folder. If you prefer a desktop program, VLC can also convert MOV to WAV: choose Media, then Convert / Save.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the MOV files from Finder onto the drop zone and the WAV files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose MOV files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted WAV appears in Files, in the Downloads folder. To stop the iPhone creating MOV files in future, go to Settings, Camera, Formats and choose Most Compatible.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose MOV files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The WAV is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it. Keep the screen on while a long video converts, because Android may pause a tab in the background.
Best settings for MOV to WAV
WAV is lossless, so there is no quality setting: every sample of the decoded MOV is kept. What changes is size. CD-quality stereo, 44.1 kHz at 16 bits, takes about 10 MB per minute as uncompressed PCM.
Since the MOV was lossy, the WAV will sound identical to it, not better. Convert to WAV when a program requires it, not to improve quality.
MOV vs WAV: the differences
| MOV | WAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | QuickTime movie | Waveform Audio File Format |
| Type | video | audio |
| Created by | Apple | Microsoft and IBM |
| First released | 1991 | 1991 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless |
| Usually contains | H.264, HEVC or ProRes video with AAC audio | uncompressed PCM, usually 16-bit at 44.1 or 48 kHz |
| In a browser | plays in Safari; Chrome plays most MOV files that use H.264 | plays in every browser and audio editor |
| Common uses | iPhone recordings, Final Cut Pro and screen recordings on Mac | recording, editing, sound effects and CD audio |
| MIME type | video/quicktime | audio/wav |
About MOV and WAV files
What is a MOV file?
MOV is the QuickTime container that MP4 was based on, so the two are close relatives. iPhones record MOV, and newer iPhones use HEVC inside it, which Windows and many websites cannot play.
What is a WAV file?
WAV normally stores raw, uncompressed samples: about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo. Editors prefer it because nothing is lost between saves, and it is why a song is ten times larger than as MP3.
MOV to WAV not working? Common problems
- The conversion is slow. Audio and container changes take seconds, but re-encoding video runs on your own processor. Lower the resolution to 720p, close other tabs, and keep the device plugged in.
- The tab stops or reloads on a very large file. Browsers limit how much memory one tab can use, around 2 GB and less on phones. Split long recordings or convert them on a computer.
- Song titles are missing. Tags such as title and artist are copied when WAV can store them, but cover art is not carried over.
Convert MOV to WAV with ffmpeg
This converter runs ffmpeg inside your browser. If you would rather use the ffmpeg command line on your own computer, this command produces an equivalent WAV with the same kind of settings:
ffmpeg -i input.mov -vn -c:a pcm_s16le output.wavReplace input.mov with the name of your file. For a whole folder of MOV files, run the command in a loop, or drop them all on the converter above, which processes them one after another.
MOV to WAV converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting MOV to WAV?
The sound is re-encoded as 16-bit PCM, the same sample rate as the source, which keeps every sample. The picture is not kept.
Why is the WAV a different size from the MOV?
The WAV is much smaller, because the video stream, usually most of the file, is dropped.
Are my MOV files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside this browser tab using ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, so your files stay on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page and converter engine have loaded and it still works.
Can I convert several MOV files to WAV at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a WAV file?
WAV plays in every browser and audio editor. WAV is common for recording, editing, sound effects and CD audio.
Is this MOV to WAV converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The site is paid for by advertising, and because conversions run on your device there is no server cost per file.
Can I convert MOV to WAV on my phone?
Yes. The converter works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. Converted files are saved to the Downloads folder.