Vinyl acetate is prepared by a) continuous gas-phase reaction of ethylene, acetic acid and oxygen at 1 to 30 bar and 130° C. to 200° C., the process heat being removed by heat exchange with water at 120° C. to 185° C. and 1 to 10 bar, b) the product gas stream consisting essentially of ethylene, vinyl acetate, acetic acid, water, carbon dioxide and further inert gases is fractionated, and c) all or part of the ethylene is recycled to the recycle gas process, wherein all or part of steam formed in the gas-phase reaction by heat exchange, with a temperature of from 120° C. to 185° C. and pressure of from 1 to 10 bar, is compressed by a differential pressure of at least 0.5 bar and used further.