MP3 to WAV

From LoveToKnow Music

The World Wide Web is home to plethora of software to help you convert your MP3 files to Wav files, and back again, so you can get the most out of your music collection.

Why Convert MP3 to WAV?

MP3s and WAVs – they each have their own place. WAV files are as close to heady heights of CD digital quality as you can get – in fact, WAV files are comparable to the CDDA files used in professional recordings – so, if you want to burn a CD, you want to save the tracks as WAV files.

The problem with WAV files is that they are extremely large – sometimes they can be up to 2 GB. Hence, they do not lend themselves to emailing or downloading, which of course is what many people want to do with their music these days. In steps the MP3. MP3 files compress the size of the WAV files by around 10 times while still maintaining most of the audio integrity. Very simply speaking, it does this by deleting all of the extraneous digital information, inaudible to our ears, keeping only the stuff we actually hear. Because of this, MP3 is the file of choice for P2P networks, downloads, and of course, the wildly popular portable MP3 players – yep, that’s how you can carry 1,000 songs in your pocket.

MP3 to WAV Converters

So, you want WAVs for burning cds, and MP3s for digital players and song swapping. You can have both by using one of these digital converters.

MP3-to-Wav

MP3-to-Wav is a good place to start your search for a converter. This site is actually a database of many of the MP3 to Wav conversion software out there, so you can shop around and compare features and prices.

This site is also handy in that it offers software to help your rip your CDs, burn MP3 CDs (so you can fit a large number of songs onto a CD), convert MP3s to MIDI files, and even software to allow you to edit your MP3 tracks. A very useful page to anyone who listens to or trades music online.

American Shareware

American Shareware offers a no frills, but easy to use MP3 to WAV (and back again) converter that doubles as digital music playback system – it must be said that if you want a player that doesn’t force you to choose between all those Pink Floyd light show type skins, this is the player for you.

The software can be purchased for $19.95, after a free trial period. With purchase, you also receive their CD ripping software, free of charge.

American Shareware is compatible with Windows operating systems.

MP3 & WAV Converter

MP3 & WAV Converters converts MP3 to WAV/WAV to MP3 digitally, not running through the computer soundcard, which they claim offers the best file quality. The plus with this software is that it allows you normalize the volume across your MP3 collection. After a free trial, you can purchase the product for $24.95.

What about Other File Types?

Of course, MP3 and WAV are not the only audio file extension out there – you may run across WMA, OGG, VQA, and many more, depending on your operating system. To convert other types of files to MP3 or WAV, try Switch, which has versions for both Windows and Macs.

Things to Keep in Mind

Most converters are in the $20 to $25 price range, but also offer free trials and other special deals, so shop around.

128 kbps is the standard norm for MP3s, though they can range from 8 kbps to 320 kbps – the higher the number the better the quality. Keep an eye on your file size.