How to convert a YouTube video to WAV
- Copy the video link from your browser’s address bar or from YouTube’s Share button.
- Paste it into the box at the top of this page.
- Choose WAV as the format. WAV is uncompressed, so the bitrate setting does not apply.
- Press Download Music and wait a moment while your file is prepared.
- When it is ready, play it right on the page to check it, then press Download file to save it.
What is a WAV file?
WAV stores audio without any further compression. That makes it the standard exchange format for audio editors, music software and video editors, which prefer to work on uncompressed material.
What to expect
- WAV files are large: typically around 10 MB per minute for CD-quality stereo audio, so a 4-minute song is roughly 40 MB.
- The sound is the same as the source. YouTube audio is already compressed, so converting it to WAV does not restore lost detail. What you get is a copy that is not compressed again, which is useful when you plan to edit and re-export.
- Because it is not compressed, WAV plays on practically every computer and audio program.
When WAV is the right choice
Choose WAV for editing in Audacity or a digital audio workstation, for use in a video project, or when a device or program asks for it. For everyday listening on a phone, MP3 or M4A gives you a much smaller file.
Use it responsibly
Only convert videos you have the right to download: your own uploads, content in the public domain or under a licence that allows it, or videos where the creator has given you permission. YouTube’s own terms may also limit downloading, and you are responsible for how you use the files you create.
Read our Terms of Use for the details. If you represent a rights holder and have a concern, contact us.
More converters
- YouTube to MP3 – Plays on practically everything
- YouTube to M4A – Better quality at a similar size
- YouTube to 320 kbps MP3 – The highest MP3 bitrate