Convert MOV to WAV
Settings
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Settings appear after you choose a file.
Working from a MOV recording from an iPhone or a Mac, with an audio editor that wants a WAV? Take the sound out as a 16-bit WAV, a large file with no picture, ready to open in the editor.
MOV or WAV?
Keep MOV when
- Size matters. A WAV of a video's sound is many times larger than the sound itself.
Pick WAV when
- An editor or a sampler wants plain, uncompressed sound.
- The sound goes onto an audio CD or into a tool that only reads WAV.
About MOV and WAV
MOV
Apple's QuickTime video format. What iPhones and Macs record and edit in; other devices often need it converted first.
WAV
Uncompressed audio with every detail intact. Large files, but the standard for editing, mastering, and pro tools.
Questions
Why is the WAV so much bigger?
WAV stores the sound uncompressed, while a video usually squeezes it. An uncompressed file made from a compressed one only gets bigger.
Which bit depth does the WAV have?
16-bit, the same as an audio CD. The Terminal lines write it.
What happens to the video?
It is left out. The WAV holds only the sound of the MOV, and the Terminal lines drop the picture with -vn.
Do the title and artist stay?
With the FFmpeg lines, yes: FFmpeg carries tags such as the title across to the WAV. afconvert leaves them out.
Can I convert a whole folder at once?
Yes. Drop them all here. In Terminal, one line converts every MOV in the folder.