Audio Mastering Export Formats — Which Format for Final Delivery?

You've spent weeks (months?) getting your track to sound perfect. The mix is tight, the mastering engineer worked their magic, and now you're staring at the export dialog wondering: WAV? FLAC? MP3? 320kbps or V0?

Here's the thing — the format you choose for final delivery matters more than most people think. Pick the wrong one and you could lose audio quality, compatibility, or even get your track rejected by distributors.

So let's cut through the confusion. This is what pros actually use, and why.

The Master Archive: WAV or FLAC?

Your master is your source of truth. It's the file you'll come back to in 5 years when you want to re-release on a new platform, remix, or license to a film.

For archival masters, use WAV (24-bit/44.1kHz or higher).

Why WAV?

• Universal compatibility — Every DAW, audio editor, and media player on earth can open it
• No compression artifacts — Lossless means lossless. What you hear is exactly what was rendered
• Industry standard — Record labels, film studios, and distributors expect WAV

FLAC is technically just as good (it's lossless compression, like a ZIP file for audio). But here's the problem: not every piece of software supports it. ProTools didn't even have native FLAC support until recently. And if you send a FLAC to a client who can't open it, you look unprofessional.

So stick with WAV for masters. File size doesn't matter when you're archiving the most important version of your work.

Streaming Platforms: What Spotify and Apple Music Actually Want

Most artists upload through aggregators (DistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore). These platforms usually ask for:

• 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV (the CD standard)
• Or sometimes 24-bit/48kHz WAV (if you worked in video/film sample rates)

The aggregator then transcodes your WAV into whatever format each platform wants:

• Spotify → OGG Vorbis (320kbps for premium, 160kbps for free tier)
• Apple Music → AAC (256kbps)
• YouTube Music → Opus/AAC (varies)
• Tidal → FLAC (lossless tier) or AAC

So you never need to export your own OGG or AAC files — the platform handles it. Just give them a high-quality WAV and let them do their job.

But here's where it gets interesting: if you're uploading directly to YouTube (not through an aggregator), you should convert your master to a high-quality MP3 or AAC first. YouTube's transcoder is... not great. If you upload a WAV, it'll crunch it down unpredictably. Better to control the compression yourself.

Physical Media: CDs, Vinyl, and Cassettes (Yes, Really)

If you're pressing physical media, here's what you need:

For CDs:

• 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV (the Red Book standard)
• No dithering unless you're downsampling from 24-bit
• Make sure you add 2 seconds of silence at the start (pre-gap) and end

For vinyl:

• 24-bit/96kHz WAV (the cutting engineer will thank you)
• Watch your low-end — too much bass can make the needle jump
• De-ess aggressively — sibilance sounds awful on vinyl

For cassettes:

Look, if you're making cassettes in 2026, you're doing it for the vibe, not fidelity. But technically: 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV works fine. Just remember cassettes have limited dynamic range, so a heavily compressed master actually sounds better on tape (wild, right?).

Sending Files to Clients: What Format for Delivery?

If you're a producer/engineer sending masters to clients, here's the professional move:

Send both:

• A 24-bit/48kHz WAV (the "master" for archival)
• A 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV (the "distribution" file for streaming)

Use a file-sharing service (Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer) and organize them like this:

/Masters_24bit/
  Track01_Master_24-48.wav
  Track02_Master_24-48.wav

/Distribution_16bit/
  Track01_Distribution_16-44.wav
  Track02_Distribution_16-44.wav

This way the client has the high-res version for future use, and a ready-to-upload version for immediate release.

MP3 for Final Delivery: When Is It Okay?

Short answer: almost never.

MP3 is a distribution format, not a master format. It's what you give to a DJ for a live set, or what you post as a free download on SoundCloud. But you should never send an MP3 as a final master to a label, distributor, or client.

That said, there are two scenarios where MP3 makes sense:

• DJ promos — DJs want 320kbps MP3s because they're small, compatible, and sound fine in a club
• Preview/demo files — Sending a client a quick mix for feedback? MP3 is fine. Just don't call it the master

If you need to convert WAV to MP3 for any reason, use 320kbps CBR (constant bitrate). VBR (variable bitrate) can cause issues in some DJ software.

Bit Depth and Sample Rate: What Actually Matters?

Here's the part where audio nerds fight in the comments.

Bit depth:

• 24-bit = more headroom, better for processing. Use this while working and for archival masters
• 16-bit = the CD standard. Perfectly fine for final delivery. The human ear can't tell the difference if you dither properly

Sample rate:

• 44.1kHz = the music standard (CD, most streaming)
• 48kHz = the video/film standard
• 96kHz and higher = useful for recording/processing, but overkill for final delivery

Most streaming platforms downsample everything to 44.1kHz anyway. So unless you're working in film (where 48kHz is expected), stick with 44.1kHz for music.

And no, you probably can't hear the difference between 44.1kHz and 192kHz. Science says so. But if it makes you feel better, keep your master at 96kHz. Just don't force your listeners to download 500MB FLAC files.

The One-File-for-Everything Myth

Here's a mistake I see all the time: artists export one WAV and try to use it for everything — streaming, vinyl, YouTube, Bandcamp, SoundCloud.

Bad idea.

Different platforms have different loudness standards (LUFS targets). What sounds perfect on Spotify might sound crushed on YouTube, or too quiet on SoundCloud.

So here's what pros do:

• Streaming master → -14 LUFS (Spotify/Apple Music standard)
• YouTube master → -13 to -14 LUFS (slightly hotter because YouTube's normalizer is aggressive)
• Bandcamp/SoundCloud → -9 to -11 LUFS (no normalization, so you want it loud)
• Vinyl master → -18 to -20 LUFS (vinyl can't handle brick-walled mixes)

You don't need to re-master for every platform. But at minimum, have a "streaming" version and a "vinyl/CD" version.

Quick Cheat Sheet: What to Export for What

• Archival master → 24-bit/48kHz WAV
• Streaming (DistroKid, CD Baby, etc.) → 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV
• CD pressing → 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV
• Vinyl cutting → 24-bit/96kHz WAV
• DJ promo → 320kbps MP3 (CBR)
• YouTube direct upload → 256kbps AAC or 320kbps MP3
• Bandcamp lossless → 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC (optional, they accept WAV too)

And if you ever need to batch-convert a bunch of files for different platforms, batch audio conversion tools can save you hours of tedious exporting.

Look, at the end of the day, the difference between a 16-bit WAV and a 24-bit WAV won't make or break your track. But sending the wrong format to a client, distributor, or pressing plant? That can delay your release by weeks.

So use WAV for masters, follow the platform guidelines, and you'll never have to worry about rejected uploads or quality loss again.