MP4 and WAV explained
MP4 is a container, not a codec. It usually holds H.264 video and AAC audio, and that specific combination is the closest thing the internet has to a universal video format.
WAV stores uncompressed PCM audio — the raw samples, exactly as captured. A stereo CD-quality minute is roughly 10 MB, which is the price of having no compression whatsoever.
- Where MP4 files come from
- Phone cameras, screen recorders, and every video streaming platform.
- Where WAV is used
- Recording sessions, sample libraries and audio editing.