What is the difference between a .wav file and an .mp3 file?

Answer 1

.WAV files are uncompressed. They are essentially the raw data recording, with the best quality possible give the recording equipment. .MP3 files are compressed in a lossy algorithm to maintain space. They do this at the loss of some audio quality.

Answer 2

An mp3 file is a recording.

A midi file is a set of data which a synthesizer uses to recreate a specific piece.

Almost sounds like the same thing doesnt it? Let me try to make an analogy...

Think of an mp3 file as a tape or record that your computer plays like a tape deck or record player.

Think of a midi file as a piece of sheet music which your computer reads & then plays on a virtual piano.

Midi files are useful for composing or experimenting with musical pieces. I can take a midi file & with a good synth make it sound like its a piano playing it, or a guitar, or a Saxophone by just clicking a few buttons. Keep in mind the average PC has a cheapo synthesizer & its going to sound like a cheap casio keyboard unless you spend some big money on a professional-grade midi synth.

mp3 files, being a verbatim recording are less versatile. What you have is all youll get, you can edit it to a large degree, but only to add audio effects such as echo or noise reduction. You can multi-track more stuff in, but it is not possible to change the song in fundamental ways as is possible with midi.

I guess a shorter way to put it is that with an mp3, your computer is playing back a recording, with midi, your computer is actually performing the piece itself.

Answer 3

mp3 is a format or type of songs

there are many formats like mp4 ,midi etc