Camera MOV files often already hold WAV-quality sound
Many cameras from Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Panasonic and other brands record MOV with uncompressed linear PCM audio, usually 48 kHz at 16 or 24 bits. That is the same kind of data a WAV file stores. Choose Original audio in the Save audio as list, and the PCM track is copied out without changing a single sample. You get exactly what the camera recorded, and it takes only seconds. A note tells you which file type the copy will have before you start.
iPhone and Mac MOV files use compressed AAC instead. That sound is decoded to PCM once and saved as WAV with no further loss.
What WAV from MOV is used for
- Syncing separate audio. Editors often record sound on a separate recorder and need the camera sound as a WAV reference for syncing.
- Noise cleaning. Remove hum, wind or room echo in Audacity, Adobe Audition or iZotope RX, then put the clean sound back with Add Audio.
- Transcription and subtitles. Many speech-to-text services and translators ask for WAV files.
- Music production. Sample a sound from your footage in FL Studio, Ableton Live or Reaper.
File size
WAV is uncompressed: about 11.5 MB per minute for 16-bit stereo at 48 kHz, and half as much again at 24-bit. A 20-minute interview in 24-bit is roughly 350 MB. If you need lossless sound but less disk space, MOV to FLAC keeps every sample at roughly half the size.
16-bit, 24-bit or 32-bit float
With Original audio, the bit depth of the camera recording is kept. Standard WAV output is 16-bit, which is plenty for iPhone sound decoded from AAC and for transcription. The 32-bit float option holds every detail of 24-bit camera audio and is meant for heavy processing: it prevents clipping while you raise levels or apply effects, at double the size of 16-bit.
Everything runs in your browser. When you convert MOV to WAV, the footage stays on your computer, which matters for client and unreleased material. If you work mostly on a Mac with Logic Pro or GarageBand, MOV to AIFF is an equivalent lossless choice.