Convert WAV to MP3: what to know
WAV files hold uncompressed sound, which makes them ideal for recording and editing and awkward for everything else. A three-minute song at CD quality is about 32 MB as WAV. The same song as a 192 kbps MP3 is about 4.3 MB, small enough to email or message. Add your WAV files above; MP3 is already selected, and the conversion runs on your own device.
Detailed guide
How to convert WAV to MP3
Drop your .wav files above or tap Choose audio or video. Up to 20 files can be converted in one batch, 500 MB each and 1 GB in total. Click Convert audio, listen to the results and download each one or a ZIP of all of them.
Large WAV files are read in pieces rather than loaded into memory all at once, so a long recording from a field recorder or a DAW export is fine. The time taken depends on the length of the audio and your device.
Why the MP3 is so much smaller
A CD-quality WAV stores 44,100 samples per second for each of two channels at 16 bits, which is 1,411 kbps or about 10.6 MB per minute. MP3 keeps the parts of the sound people hear most clearly and discards detail that is usually masked, so 192 kbps uses about 1.4 MB per minute. That is roughly a seventh of the WAV size for the same length.
Higher-resolution WAV files, such as 24-bit or 48 kHz recordings, are even larger, so the saving is bigger. The MP3 always uses the bitrate you choose, whatever the WAV's resolution.
Choosing a bitrate
192 kbps is the default and a safe choice for music. 256 or 320 kbps give the encoder more room for detailed recordings. For speech, 128 kbps is plenty; to go smaller still, or to fit a size limit such as an email attachment, use Compress Audio.
Keep your WAV originals if you might edit the recording again. Each lossy encoding removes a little detail, and a WAV master is the best starting point for future changes.
Questions about WAV to MP3
- Will WAV to MP3 lose quality?
- MP3 is lossy, so some detail is removed. At 192 kbps and above most listeners cannot tell the difference for typical music, but keep the WAV if you need the exact original.
- Should I choose FLAC instead?
- Choose FLAC if you want a smaller file with no loss at all. It is usually about half to two thirds the size of the WAV, much larger than an MP3.
- Are my files uploaded?
- No. The WAV files are read and converted in your browser and never leave your device.