What is the difference between MP3 and WAV audio formats?

MP3 and WAV are popular audio formats with distinct features.

Format	Best For	Compression	Quality	File Size
MP3	Everyday Use, Online Sharing	Lossy	Decent	Smaller
WAV	Music Production, Archival	Lossless	High	Larger

MP3, a compressed format, reduces file size for online streaming and storage on space-limited devices. It uses perceptual coding to discard less audible information.

In contrast, WAV is an uncompressed format, retaining all original audio data for higher quality but larger file sizes. WAV is preferred for professional audio editing due to its lossless nature.

Choose MP3 for everyday use and online sharing, while WAV suits music production or archival purposes.