If you’re in a band, you’ve probably run into this problem: somebody uploads a song to Google Drive, and no one can listen to it because it’s not formatted correctly. This type of communication breakdown happens all the time, it’s not just for bands.
Any time a business needs to upload a video clip or audio presentation, or any time you’re trying to listen to a WAV file and can’t seem to make it work, chances are, you’re not a savvy GIF to WAV converter.
No worries, if you need to learn how to convert a GIF to WAV, we’ve got you covered. Read on!
What Is a GIF File?
GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format.
GIF used to be the standard for 8-bit color images on the internet. Then PNG came along and replaced many of the uses for GIF files.
But GIFs are still often seen on text threads. Many of you probably have a GIF keyboard installed on your phone so that you can send little goofy video clips to your friends.
The GIF keyboard on your phone uses animated GIFs. Your keyboards turn these files into several images or phrases combined on a single file.
These short, pithy video sequences display one after the other and show at varying frame rates. The low-file-size is perfect for a device like your phone.
GIFs usually end after running through on the last frame, though they are now more commonly seen looping.
How to Create a GIF?
Programs such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, and Microsoft GIF Animator are great tools to create GIFs. Several cell phone applications have easy-to-use software applications so you can send GIFs to your friends.
Do not create photographs out of GIFs. GIfs are only suitable for solid graphics with a limited number of colors.
The lower number of colors takes advantage of the format’s lossless compression. The lossless compression favors simpler, flatter color fields.
However, if you’re looking for something more natural to use, the PNG file format is the industry standard.
What is a WAV File?
WAV files are audio files saved in the WAVE format. These types of files are standard digital audio formats. An easy way to remember WAV files is by thinking of the sound waves WAV files save.
WAV files can contain audio recordings with different bitrates and sampling rates. But the most common form is the 44.1 kHz, 16 bit, stereo format.
WAV files use the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) as a template for saving video and sound, and it has been around since the early 90s when Microsoft developed the technology.
Microsoft developed WAVE files to save raw, uncompressed audio. So, WAVE files are the perfect way to save your unfinished band demos.
At the beginning of this article, we discussed converting GIF files to WAV files. That conversion isn’t nearly as standard as converting AIF files to WAV files. AIF files, or Audio Interchange Files, are most commonly used by Mac OSs.
Because Microsoft uses WAV files more often than MAC, the natural snag people run into when trying to send friends or colleagues audio files is converting from AIF to WAV or Vice Versa.
Converting GIF to WAV
Converting a GIF file to a WAV file can be tricky since you mostly use GIF files for their visual contents, and you mostly use WAV files for their audio materials. Nonetheless, it’s still possible.
The easiest way to convert GIF to WAV is by using a converter. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Upload the GIF file
- Convert the GIF file
- Download the WAV file
Rocket science, isn’t it?
Use our free online file conversion program for all of your file conversion needs.
What Are the Reasons for Converting GIF to WAV
The main reason for converting GIF to WAV is what’s known as lossy data vs. lossless data.
What is the difference between lossy and lossless data, you ask?
Files in the RAW format are formatted as Lossless because they preserve the files’ raw data? JPEG files are lossy because you always lose a certain amount of data upon conversion.
Here are some more examples of lossy vs. lossless data formats:
- Lossy Images – GIF and JPEG formats
- Lossless Images – PNG, BMP, and Raw
- Lossy Audio files – OGG, MP4, and MP3
- Lossless Audio files – ALAC, FLAC, and WAV
Lossy files are mostly a remnant of the past. Lossless files are more advanced. Think of it this way, when you convert a GIF to WAV, you’re righting our historic digital wrongs.
For example, while converting a CD to an MP3 (super relevant nowadays), you lose a lot of data. Hence, your new nickname becomes lossy because you lose so much.
If you were to convert the data from a CD to WAV, you wind up with a larger file with no data loss.
You also don’t want to convert a lossy to a lossy because, naturally, you compound losses and lose more data. So, steer clear of converting GIF to MP3 and opt for the GIF to WAV because you’ll be flossin’ not lossin’.
An easy way to conceptualize converting lossy files to lossy files is imagining copying a photocopy with another photocopy. It’s like movies — the sequels are never as good as the original.
The uses for converting files aren’t only musical. You can convert images and video files as well. The trick is understanding which files transfer best to each other. By using the right conversion format, you retain the original quality and save space while you’re at it. You’ll finally look like a pro.
Start Your Conversion Today
In today’s digital age, it’s essential to stay up to date on what types of files the business world uses. You don’t want to get left behind in the cloud.
The good news is, converter apps make conversions easy and accessible. Remember, you can prevent data losses by converting to lossless file formats. A great example of this is converting GIF to WAV.
Check out more of our blogs today for more digital information!