The short version: WAV and FLAC keep every bit of the audio, MP3 throws some away to make the file smaller. WAV is the one studios and DJ software open without complaint, FLAC gives you the same sound at roughly half the size, and MP3 is the one that fits a few thousand songs on your phone. None of them can add quality that wasn’t there to begin with, which matters a lot when the source is SoundCloud.
Below is a side-by-side comparison, a plain explanation of each format, what quality you really get from SoundCloud, and a straight answer on which one to pick for what you’re doing.
The side-by-side comparison
| WAV | FLAC | MP3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Uncompressed | Lossless compressed | Lossy compressed |
| Keeps all the audio? | Yes | Yes | No |
| 4-minute track (stereo) | About 42 MB | About 20 to 30 MB | About 4 MB at 128 kbps, 10 MB at 320 kbps |
| Tags and cover art | Limited | Full support | Full support |
| Opens in every DAW | Yes | Most | Yes |
| Plays on every phone and car stereo | Mostly | Not always | Yes |
| Best for | Producing, sampling, DJing | Archiving, hi-fi listening | Everyday listening |
What is WAV format?
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is a container Microsoft and IBM created for Windows 3.1 as part of the RIFF file standard. The Library of Congress describes it as a wrapper that most often holds linear PCM audio, which is the raw sample data with no compression applied.
Because nothing is squeezed, the file size is easy to work out. CD-quality stereo (44.1 kHz, 16-bit) runs at 1,411 kbps, or roughly 10 MB a minute. Standard WAV files also top out at 4 GB because of how the header stores the file size, which is why long field recordings sometimes use the RF64 variant instead.
The upside is that everything reads WAV. DAWs, samplers, video editors and DJ software all treat it as the default, and it takes almost no processing power to play back.
What is MP3?
MP3 is a lossy format. The encoder works out which parts of the sound you’re least likely to notice and discards them, which is how a 42 MB song becomes 4 to 10 MB. The bitrate controls how much gets thrown out: 128 kbps is fine for background listening, and 320 kbps is the highest the format allows.
The catch is that the discarded data is gone for good. Re-save an MP3 after editing it and the encoder throws a little more away each time.
What is FLAC?
FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. It compresses audio the way a ZIP file compresses a document: the file gets smaller, but when you play it back you get every original sample back exactly. Xiph.org, which maintains the format, puts typical savings at 30 to 70 percent.
FLAC also handles tags and cover art properly, which WAV doesn’t. That makes it the usual pick for anyone building a lossless music library.
What audio quality you actually get from SoundCloud
This is the part most converter sites skip. When an artist uploads to SoundCloud, even if they upload a WAV, SoundCloud transcodes it into compressed AAC versions for streaming. What you hear in the player is one of those versions, not the original.
- Free and Go listeners: standard streams, which SoundCloud’s high quality streaming page lists at 128 kbps.
- Go+ subscribers: can turn on HQ streams at 256 kbps AAC, which SoundCloud compares to a 320 kbps MP3. Our Go vs Go+ comparison covers whether that’s worth paying for.
- Downloads enabled by the artist: you get the original file they uploaded, with no extra transcoding. If they uploaded a WAV, you get a WAV.
- Purchased downloads: SoundCloud’s format guide for purchases offers MP3, AAC or the lossless original, depending on what the artist uploaded.
So any converter that grabs a SoundCloud stream is working with compressed audio. Saving it as WAV or FLAC keeps it exactly as it is. It doesn’t restore what was cut.
Why converting MP3 to WAV doesn’t add quality
People often assume that turning an MP3 into a WAV “upgrades” it. It can’t. Lossy compression is a one-way street: once the encoder drops data, no later conversion can bring it back. The WAV will be about ten times bigger and sound identical.
That doesn’t make the conversion pointless, though. A WAV copy is easier to work with in a DAW, and it stops the audio degrading further when you edit and bounce it. That’s the real reason producers convert SoundCloud to WAV.
Which format should you pick?
Producing or sampling: WAV. It opens in everything, and your edits won’t add another round of lossy compression. Use our SoundCloud to WAV converter for tracks, and always check for an artist download button first in case the lossless original is there.
DJing: WAV or AIFF is the safest bet on USB sticks, since older club players aren’t always happy with other formats. FLAC works in software like rekordbox, which supports FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3 and AAC, but check your player’s manual before a gig.
Archiving a collection: FLAC. Same audio as WAV, much smaller files, and your tags stay intact. Our SoundCloud to FLAC converter does this in one step.
Everyday listening: MP3. Since the stream was already compressed, you won’t hear what a bigger file would add. The SoundCloud to MP3 converter is the quickest route, and the playlist downloader grabs a whole playlist at once.
FAQ
Is WAV better quality than MP3?
A WAV made from the original recording holds more detail than an MP3 of the same recording. But a WAV converted from an MP3, or from a compressed SoundCloud stream, sounds exactly the same as its source.
Is FLAC better than WAV?
They sound identical because both are lossless. FLAC is smaller and handles tags better. WAV is more widely supported in audio software and on older hardware.
Can you hear the difference between WAV and MP3?
At 128 kbps, trained ears and good headphones can often pick out artifacts in cymbals and reverb tails. At 320 kbps most people struggle to tell. It depends a lot on your gear and the track.
What audio quality does SoundCloud stream at?
Standard streams are 128 kbps. Go+ subscribers can switch on HQ streaming at 256 kbps AAC. The artist's original file is only available when they enable downloads.
Should I upload WAV or MP3 to SoundCloud?
WAV or another lossless format. SoundCloud recommends lossless uploads because it transcodes every file for streaming, and starting from a lossless source gives the best result after that step.
Why is a WAV file so much bigger than an MP3?
WAV stores every sample without compression, about 10 MB per minute at CD quality. MP3 discards data to shrink the file to roughly a tenth of that.
Sources
- WAVE Audio File Format (Library of Congress)
- FLAC (Xiph.org Wiki)
- MP3 (Wikipedia)
- Lossy compression (Wikipedia)
- High Quality Streaming (SoundCloud Help Center)
- Upload requirements and supported formats (SoundCloud Help Center)
- Downloading tracks (SoundCloud Help Center)
- Which audio format should I download? (SoundCloud Help Center)
- Supported file formats in rekordbox (AlphaTheta Help Center)