WAV is the preferred master format because it is uncompressed and universally accepted.
Export settings
- Bit depth: 16-bit or 24-bit PCM
- Sample rate: 44.1 kHz (or the session rate if higher)
- Channels: stereo
- Dither: enable when reducing from 24-bit to 16-bit
- Normalisation: off — do not let the exporter push peaks to 0 dBFS
Common WAV problems
- Wrong extension — a file renamed from .mp3 to .wav is still an MP3 and will be identified as such.
- Broken header — some converters write WAV files that players cannot read; re-export from the DAW.
- Embedded silence — bounce exactly the song range; see Silence at Beginning or End.
