What are the best file formats for voiceover recordings?
Updated September 26, 2026
Choosing the Right File Formats for Voiceover Recordings
So you’ve recorded a great voiceover, and now you need to save it as a file. But with so many file formats and compression settings available, how do you know which one to choose?
TL;DR: MP3 and WAV are the most commonly used formats, but there are others, so let’s look at your options…
For professional voiceover, WAV is usually the safest default. If a client hasn’t specified otherwise, 24-bit/48 kHz is a solid professional delivery format. MP3 is useful when smaller file size matters, such as for auditions, previews or when the client specifically requests it.
WAV, AIFF and MP3 are the formats you’re most likely to encounter. The right choice depends on what the recording is being used for, so client specifications always take priority.
WAV, AIFF or MP3?
When it comes to voiceover recordings, three file formats are commonly used: WAV, AIFF and MP3.
WAV and AIFF are uncompressed formats, so they preserve the full audio data and are well suited to professional recording, editing and delivery. WAV is especially common in voiceover workflows and is usually the safest choice when a client asks for high-quality audio.
MP3 is a compressed, lossy format. It creates much smaller files, which makes it useful for auditions, previews, email delivery and other situations where convenience matters more than preserving every bit of audio data.
How do I choose the right compression settings for my voiceover recordings?
If you decide to go with a lossy format like MP3, you’ll need to choose the right compression settings. The most important of these settings is the bitrate.
What is bitrate and how does it affect the quality of my voiceover recordings?
Bitrate is the amount of data used to represent one second of audio. With MP3 files, a higher bitrate generally means better audio quality, but also a larger file size.
For voiceover, 192 kbps is a safer general-purpose MP3 setting than 128 kbps when quality matters. Higher settings such as 256 kbps or 320 kbps are also available, but the improved sound quality is barely noticeable. If a client or online platform specifies a bitrate, you should always honor their request.
What is a sample rate and how does it affect the quality of my voiceover recordings?
Sample rate is the number of times per second that an audio signal is measured during recording. Higher sample rates capture a wider frequency range, but… they also create larger files.
For professional voiceover, 48 kHz is a strong default, especially for audio that may be used with video. 44.1 kHz is still perfectly valid and is still common in music and audio-only workflows, but if a client hasn’t specified a format, 48 kHz is usually the safer choice for modern production.
What is “hearing the corners”?
“Hearing the corners” is a term used to describe the sound of an audio file that has been compressed poorly. See the article What is “hearing the corners”? for more information.
What is a codec and how does it affect the quality of my voiceover recordings?
A codec is basically the set of instructions used to encode and decode digital audio. Different codecs compress audio in different ways, which affects the size of the file, how widely it can be opened and, of course, how it sounds.
For professional voiceover, PCM audio in a WAV file is usually the easy answer: high quality, lossless and widely accepted. If you need a smaller file, MP3 is still everywhere, while AAC tends to show up more in video and streaming workflows.
Don’t overthink it — use the specs a client, editor or platform asks for. They’re the ones who have to work with the file after you send it.
What are the best settings for voiceover recordings intended for online distribution?
There isn’t one setting that works for everything.
If you’re sending a finished voiceover file to a client, 24-bit/48 kHz WAV is a solid default unless they’ve given you different specifications.
If you’re sending an MP3 for an audition, approval or quick listen, 192 kbps or higher is more than adequate and will give you good quality without creating an unnecessarily large file.
And if the voiceover is going into a video, let the video specifications make the decision. Platforms such as YouTube commonly use 48 kHz audio and compressed codecs such as AAC, but the editor or client you’re working with might have their own specific requirements.
In a nutshell: if the client gives you specs, use them. If they don’t, WAV at 24-bit/48 kHz is a pretty safe place to start.
What are the best settings for voiceover recordings intended for professional use?
Are you starting to see a pattern, here?
It’s a good question. For professional voiceover work, WAV is usually the safest bet. If the client hasn’t given you specific delivery requirements, 24-bit/48 kHz mono WAV is a solid place to start.
That doesn’t mean every project needs exactly those settings. Some clients will ask for 16-bit, 44.1 kHz, stereo, MP3 or something else entirely. Their specifications win. The important thing is to record and edit at a high enough quality that you can deliver whatever they need without painting yourself into a corner.
How do I optimize my voiceover recordings for playback on mobile devices?
In most cases, you don’t need to do anything special. Modern phones and tablets are perfectly happy playing common audio formats, and if the recording is being streamed through a website or platform, that platform will usually handle the encoding.
If you’re sending the file directly to a client, use whatever specifications they’ve asked for. I wouldn’t reduce the quality of a master recording just because somebody might listen to it on their phone.
What are the limitations of different file formats and compression settings?
Every format involves a trade-off between audio quality, file size and compatibility.
WAV and AIFF preserve the full audio quality… but the files are larger. MP3 and AAC create much smaller files but they use lossy compression, which means some audio information is lost in the process.
For most professional voiceover work, storage space isn’t much of a reason to compromise the master recording. Keep the high-quality WAV, and make a compressed copy when you actually need one.
It’s important to consider the intended use of your voiceover recording when choosing a file format and compression settings. If you’re unsure, it’s always a good idea to consult with a professional audio engineer or producer.
How can I ensure that my voiceover recordings meet the needs of my clients and are suitable for their intended use?
The easiest way? Ask the client.
If they’ve supplied technical specs, follow them. If they haven’t, find out where the recording is ultimately going, because a TV commercial, corporate video, e-learning course, phone system and audiobook can all have different requirements.
A good habit is to record and keep a high-quality master version, then you can just export whatever version the client actually needs. That frees you up to create a WAV, MP3 or other formats without compromising the quality of the original recording.
Don’t assume that bigger numbers automatically mean better delivery. There’s not much point sending somebody a gigantic 96 kHz WAV when what they actually asked for was a 192 kbps MP3.
And here’s a big one, worth noting: If a client says “Can you send me that as a 24-bit/48 kHz wav file?” but you have a crummy, low-quality, garbled sounding 64 kbps mp3 file? Yes, you can convert that to a wav file but it doesn’t magically repair the audio that’s been degraded. It will just be a 24-bit/48 kHz wav file that’s painfully hard on the ears and the client will definitely notice! When in doubt, ask.
Choosing the right file format and compression settings for your voiceover recordings can seem daunting, so it’s worth taking some time to familiarize yourself with the various options. Consult with a professional if you’re not sure. Happy recording!
Need the recording as well as the right file format?
If you’re producing a medical device video, a technical product demonstration or a training course, the recording needs to fit your editing workflow. Let me know your preferred file format, how you’d like the script split into files, and any naming or timing requirements.
Hear examples of my medical and pharmaceutical voiceover or industrial and technical narration, then get in touch with your script and project details.
James Dooley is a professional voice actor with more than 20 years’ experience in commercial, corporate, medical and technical voiceover. His voice has been featured in work for brands including McDonald’s, Amazon, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota.
He provides scriptwriting and multilingual voiceover production through his company Dooley Media Works, as well as voiceover coaching and professional voiceover demo production for both aspiring and working voice actors looking to succeed in the business.