About WAV to MP3
WAV files store uncompressed audio, so a single minute of CD-quality stereo takes about 10 MB. That's fine in a recording studio, but awkward for emailing a demo, sharing a lecture recording or filling a phone with music. Converting to MP3 at 192 kbps brings a minute down to roughly 1.4 MB, about a seventh of the size, with little audible difference for most listening. This tool does the conversion, showing progress for each file as it encodes. Large recordings over 100 MB are flagged before you start.
How to Use It
- 01
Add WAV files
Drop .wav files into the box or tap to browse your device.
- 02
Set bitrate
Pick the MP3 bitrate and stereo or mono. Higher bitrates sound closer to the original.
- 03
Convert
Press Convert, watch the progress, and download the MP3s or a ZIP.
WAV vs MP3
WAV stores audio uncompressed, exactly as it was recorded. That makes it the standard for recording and editing, but files are huge: CD-quality stereo WAV takes about 10 MB per minute, so an hour-long recording is over 600 MB. MP3 uses compression that removes sounds the ear is unlikely to notice, making files about a tenth of the size at 128 kbps while still sounding good. Read the WAV format guide for more detail.
Convert to MP3 when you need to share, upload, stream or store recordings: MP3 plays on every device and keeps files small enough to email.
Most phones, smart speakers, car stereos and audio apps play MP3 without any setup, which is why it remains the default format for sharing audio.
Which bitrate should you choose?
320 kbps is the highest MP3 quality and the right choice for finished music, where you want the MP3 to be as close to the WAV as possible. 192 kbps is a good balance for most music and is hard to tell from the original on normal speakers and headphones. For speech, such as interviews, lectures, meetings, podcasts and voice-overs, 96–128 kbps sounds clear and saves a lot of space.
A rough guide to size: one minute of audio is about 2.4 MB at 320 kbps, 1.4 MB at 192 kbps and 0.9 MB at 128 kbps.
Mono for voice recordings
Many voice recorders and microphones capture a single voice in stereo, which simply duplicates the same sound in both channels. Choosing mono halves the file size with no audible difference for speech. For music, keep stereo so instruments stay in their place left and right.
Keep the WAV if you'll edit again
MP3 is a delivery format. If you're still editing a song, podcast or video soundtrack, keep working with the WAV and only convert the final version, because every round of lossy compression loses a little more detail. Archive the WAV originals and share the MP3s.
To cut silence or unwanted parts before converting, use Trim Audio. For recordings from an iPhone, which are usually M4A, use M4A to MP3. Need to go the other way for an editor that only takes WAV? Try MP3 to WAV.
Converting a batch
Add a whole set of WAV files, such as an album, a series of interviews or sound effects, and they are converted with the same settings. Download each MP3 or get them all in one ZIP, with the original file names kept. It works on Windows, Mac and phones without installing any software.
Questions
How much smaller will the MP3 be?
For CD-quality stereo WAV (44.1 kHz, 16-bit), a 192 kbps MP3 is about one seventh of the size and a 128 kbps MP3 about one eleventh. Each file shows its final size after converting.
What sample rate is used?
The MP3 is encoded at 44.1 kHz where your browser allows it, which is the standard rate for music players. Higher-rate WAV files are resampled during decoding.
Can I convert a recording that's over 100 MB?
You can try. The whole file is decoded into memory first, so very long recordings need a lot of RAM. A desktop browser handles them more reliably than a phone.
Is MP3 good enough for music?
At 192-320 kbps most people can't tell an MP3 from the original on everyday equipment. Keep the WAV as your master copy if you'll edit or remaster the audio later.