Pick an export for the next step
When a MOV audio track should become WAV
WAV is useful when an editor or delivery brief asks for uncompressed PCM. If you only need a small listening copy, MP3 or M4A is usually easier to share. Choose based on the next tool and the source track, not on the idea that a WAV export can restore quality.
Send audio to an editor
Use this when a DAW, post-production timeline, or client handoff specifies WAV. The file is larger, but it avoids another lossy encode at this export step.
Share a listening copy
Choose MP3 when the recipient mainly needs to listen or review dialogue. It is much smaller than uncompressed PCM and plays on a wide range of devices.
Keep an Apple-friendly copy
M4A is a practical choice for Apple media libraries and everyday playback when a compact AAC file is more useful than a production master.
A WAV file can preserve the decoded audio as PCM, but it cannot undo compression already present in the MOV. Keep the original video and verify the exported sample rate, channels, and duration in the receiving editor.
MOV is a media container commonly associated with QuickTime and Apple workflows. Depending on how a clip was recorded or exported, it may contain AAC, PCM, or another audio stream alongside video. Converting MOV to WAV removes the picture and writes the decoded sound into a WAV file, typically as uncompressed PCM.
Use this free MOV to WAV converter when Final Cut Pro, Logic, Audacity, a DAW, or a production handoff asks for a separate WAV track. The selected file is processed in your browser rather than uploaded to a conversion server. This page exports 16-bit PCM and does not provide a manual sample-rate selector, so check a delivery specification before sending the result.
A MOV is a QuickTime container, and what sits in its audio track varies more than people expect. iPhone and macOS camera files use AAC at 48 kHz stereo. Final Cut and QuickTime exports often use uncompressed PCM. Older captures use Apple Lossless or even IMA4 ADPCM. Only the second of those is genuinely lossless to begin with, and knowing which one you have tells you whether a WAV export is an improvement or just a bigger file.
WAV is the right destination when the audio is going into an editor. Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Audition, Audacity, Logic and every transcription or noise-reduction tool accept 16-bit PCM without question, and — unlike a compressed format — you can cut, process, and re-export without accumulating another lossy generation. The cost is size: roughly 10.6 MB per minute at 44.1 kHz stereo, 11.5 MB per minute at 48 kHz.
Under the hood
How the conversion works
QuickTime is a container, not an audio codec
The .mov extension identifies a container. It does not tell you whether the soundtrack is AAC, PCM, or another codec. A MOV to WAV conversion decodes the audio stream that is present; the WAV extension alone cannot reveal or improve the quality of the original recording.
ProRes video does not guarantee uncompressed audio
A MOV file with ProRes picture may still carry compressed AAC sound. If the audio track was already lossy, exporting PCM creates an uncompressed working copy of that decoded signal, not a lossless recovery of the original recording.
Check size before exporting a long take
For 16-bit stereo PCM, a 48 kHz WAV is about 11.5 MB per minute, or roughly 690 MB for an hour. Mono at 44.1 kHz is about 5.3 MB per minute. Actual output size depends on the source track's decoded sample rate and channel layout.
Confirm the production handoff settings
This converter does not expose sample-rate or channel controls. If a Final Cut, Logic, or broadcast workflow specifies 48 kHz, mono, or a different bit depth, inspect the WAV in your editor and make any required adjustment there. Keep the original MOV until sync and duration are confirmed.
Check the audio codec before you decide the format
Run ffprobe -v error -select_streams a:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name,sample_rate,channels -of default=nw=1 file.mov, or open the file in MediaInfo. If it reports pcm_s16le or pcm_s24le, the MOV already holds uncompressed audio and a WAV export is a straight, lossless copy. If it reports aac, you are decoding an already-lossy track: bigger, but not better.
iPhone and iPad files are AAC at 48 kHz
HEVC or H.264 video with AAC audio at 48 kHz stereo is the standard iOS container. The video codec has no effect on the conversion — we discard the video stream without decoding it, which is why a 4K iPhone clip converts in about the same time as a 720p one of the same length.
ProRes and other intermediate files
Editors export ProRes, Apple ProRes RAW and DNxHD inside MOV, usually with uncompressed PCM audio. These files are enormous — a minute of 4K ProRes 422 HQ is around 1 GB — but the audio track is a small, clean PCM stream, and the conversion ignores the picture entirely. Expect the export to finish far faster than the file size suggests.
Sample rate is preserved, not normalised
Your WAV comes out at the source's sample rate: 44.1 kHz for music-style captures, 48 kHz for video work. We do not resample, add dither, or change loudness. If a delivery spec demands exactly 48 kHz, resample in your editor afterward rather than expecting the converter to guess.
Common scenarios
When to convert MOV / QuickTime to WAV
Separate dialogue from a camera clip
Create a standalone audio file for transcript review, dialogue cleanup, or a sound editor. Keep the original MOV nearby so the audio can be matched back to picture by filename and duration.
Prepare a QuickTime file for a DAW
A WAV can be easier to import into an audio project when the handoff expects PCM. Open the export in Logic, Pro Tools, Reaper, or another DAW and confirm the format before recording edits over it.
Deliver a separate audio stem
Send a WAV alongside the picture when a collaborator wants to mix or review sound independently. Agree on sample rate, channel count, and start time so the track stays aligned in the receiving timeline.
Review a recording without the video
Extract a voice track from a presentation, interview, or screen recording for listening on another device. If the file is only for casual playback, a smaller M4A or MP3 may be a better fit than WAV.
MOV audio export choices at a glance
Choose a format that matches the task. A different file extension does not change the source recording that came from the camera or editor.
| Output | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| WAV | DAW editing, PCM handoff, or a stated delivery requirement | Large files; does not restore detail removed by an earlier lossy encode |
| MP3 | Small review and listening copies | Lossy compression; not ideal when a client specifically needs PCM |
| M4A | Compact AAC playback in Apple-oriented libraries | Not a substitute for an uncompressed production handoff |
How to
Step by step
clip.mov
Output: WAV · Lossless
OptionsConversion runs locally · this tab stays online during processing.
Extract audio- 1
Choose the MOV or QuickTime file
Drop a .mov or .qt video into the converter, or select it from your device. Keep an untouched copy if the recording is part of an active edit or archive.
- 2
Set the output to WAV
WAV is selected for this page. The export uses 16-bit PCM; the page does not include controls for changing sample rate or channel count.
- 3
Convert in the browser
Start the conversion and keep the tab open while processing finishes. Large ProRes or long-duration videos may require more memory and time even though only the audio is written to the output.
- 4
Check sync and file properties
Open the WAV in the target DAW or editor. Confirm duration, channel layout, and sample rate, then compare the start point with the MOV before using it in a timeline.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert MOV to WAV on a Mac?
Choose the .mov file in the converter, select WAV, and start the browser-based export. Open the downloaded PCM file in Logic, Final Cut Pro, Audacity, or your preferred editor and verify the required sample rate and channels.
Can I convert QuickTime to WAV online without uploading?
Yes. This page processes the selected MOV or QuickTime file in your browser and does not send the video to a conversion server. Keep the tab open until the WAV export finishes.
Will converting a MOV file to WAV improve its sound quality?
No. WAV can store decoded audio as uncompressed PCM, but it cannot restore detail lost in an earlier AAC or other lossy encode. Convert to WAV when an editor or handoff needs PCM, not as a way to enhance the source.
How large is a MOV to WAV export?
A 16-bit stereo WAV at 48 kHz is about 11.5 MB per minute, so an hour can approach 690 MB. A mono 44.1 kHz track is about 5.3 MB per minute. The exact size follows the decoded sample rate, channel count, and duration.
Can I use FFmpeg to convert MOV to WAV?
Yes. A basic command is ffmpeg -i input.mov -vn -c:a pcm_s16le output.wav. If your workflow requires a specific sample rate or channel count, add the appropriate FFmpeg options and inspect the output before delivery.
Does a ProRes MOV always contain high-quality audio?
No. ProRes describes the video stream, while the MOV can contain a separate audio codec such as AAC or PCM. Check the audio stream itself; exporting it to WAV does not change how it was originally encoded.
Will the WAV be better quality than the MOV's audio?
If the MOV holds PCM, the WAV is a perfect copy of it. If the MOV holds AAC, the WAV is a perfect copy of already-compressed audio — larger and easier to edit, but not more detailed. WAV removes another lossy generation; it does not undo an earlier one.
How big will the WAV be?
About 10.6 MB per minute at 44.1 kHz 16-bit stereo, 11.5 MB per minute at 48 kHz, and half that for mono. A 10-minute iPhone clip is roughly 115 MB; an hour of lecture recording is roughly 690 MB.
Can I convert a long Final Cut or ProRes export?
Yes. MOV uses the fast streaming engine, so the file is read progressively rather than loaded into memory. A multi-gigabyte ProRes master converts in roughly the time its audio takes to decode, because the video stream is discarded untouched.
Does this work with iMovie exports?
Yes. Modern iMovie shares MP4 with AAC audio, and older versions exported MOV or M4V — all three are accepted. See the iMovie to MP3 page if you want a smaller listening file rather than an editing master.
My MOV has Apple Lossless audio. Any problem?
None. ALAC decodes cleanly to PCM, and since the source was lossless your WAV really is lossless end to end. Apple Lossless MOV files are one of the best inputs this page handles.
Why is my WAV slightly quieter than expected?
We do not alter gain. iPhone and camera recordings are frequently captured at conservative levels, and professional material is often mastered to a lower peak than consumer music. Apply loudness normalisation in your editor — around -16 LUFS for podcasts, -14 LUFS for streaming music — rather than expecting the export to do it.
See also
Related converters