44.1k or 48k? Convert it right — and know why
Music distribution wants 44.1 kHz; video timelines want 48. Drop a file, pick the target rate and bit depth, and download a clean WAV. The guide below settles the why.
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44.1 vs 48: the two-minute version
Both rates capture everything humans hear. The split is historical: 44.1 kHz came from CD audio and stuck as the music-distribution standard; 48 kHz came from video equipment and owns everything attached to picture. Neither sounds better — what sounds bad is a mismatch, like 44.1 kHz audio dropped raw into a 48 kHz timeline, playing about 9% fast and a minor third sharp. If you've ever heard a chipmunked interview on a YouTube edit, that was it.
So the rule is one sentence: deliver music at 44.1, deliver video sound at 48, and when the target differs from the source, resample once, cleanly, at the end. This tool is that final step — drop, pick, download.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz?
44.1 kHz is the standard for music distribution (streaming, CD); 48 kHz is the standard for anything attached to picture (video, film, game audio). Working in one and delivering the other is fine — that's exactly what a clean resample is for. What hurts is accidental mismatches, like 44.1 audio dropped raw into a 48 kHz video timeline running fast and sharp.
Does resampling lose quality?
A good resampler is transparent for any normal listening purpose. What you should avoid is resampling repeatedly back and forth, or upsampling and expecting improvement — 44.1 upsampled to 96 contains nothing new.
When do I need 24-bit instead of 16?
16-bit is plenty for finished, normalized masters — it's the CD standard. Keep 24-bit for working files, stems, and anything quiet that will be processed further; the extra headroom absorbs gain changes without noise. 32-float is for exchanging stems between DAWs where clipping must be impossible.
Why does the file get bigger or smaller?
WAV size is sample rate × bit depth × channels × time. 96 kHz/24-bit is roughly triple 44.1/16 for the same audio — bigger numbers, bigger file, same song.