Convert WAV to MP3
A WAV is about 10 MB a minute. An MP3 is not.
Drop files here
or click to choose from your deviceAccepted: WAV
Up to 3 files per runUp to 150 MB per file5 runs per dayRemove limits with Pro✓ Works offline
Your files stay on your device
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, and you can even turn off your internet connection before you start.
Example
Example: a 90-second stereo WAV at each bit rate
A 1½-minute recording in CD quality — 44.1 kHz, 16-bit stereo — is 15.88 MB as WAV, well under the free limit of 150 MB per file. Below, the MP3 sizes from the same encoder the page uses.
| Bit rate | MP3 size | Smaller than the WAV |
|---|---|---|
| 320 kbps | 3.60 MB | 4.4 times |
| 192 kbps | 2.16 MB | 7.3 times |
| 128 kbps | 1.44 MB | 11 times |
| 64 kbps | 0.72 MB | 22 times |
At the default 192 kbps the MP3 is about a seventh of the WAV. The size follows the bit rate, not the music: 192 kbps is 1.44 MB a minute, whatever is recorded.
How it works
- Drop the .wav files on the box, or choose them.
- Pick a bit rate. 192 kbps is transparent for most listening; 128 is fine for speech.
- Mix down to mono for a voice recording: the size still follows the bit rate, but a low rate such as 64 kbps sounds cleaner.
- Download the MP3s one by one or as a ZIP.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is my WAV so big?
- Because it stores every sample uncompressed. CD-quality stereo is about 10.6 MB a minute, so a three-minute recording is around 32 MB and an hour-long one over 600 MB. MP3 is about a seventh of that at 192 kbps, and about a tenth at 128 kbps.
- How much quality do I lose?
- MP3 is lossy, so some is thrown away permanently. At 192 kbps and above most people cannot hear it on most material. At 128 it is audible on cymbals and applause. If the WAV is a master you will edit again, keep it and convert a copy.
- My file is over the free limit.
- The free plan takes 150 MB per file, which is about 14 minutes of CD-quality stereo WAV, and less for 24-bit or 96 kHz recordings. Trim the recording first, or take Pro, which removes the cap.
- Are the title, artist and cover art kept?
- No. Tags in a WAV file are not read, so the MP3 has none; only FLAC, M4A and MP3 tags are carried over. Add them in your player or in something like Mp3tag if you need them.
- Does mixing down to mono make the MP3 smaller?
- No — at a given bit rate an MP3 is the same size in mono or stereo: 90 seconds at 64 kbps is 0.72 MB either way. What mono changes is that every bit goes to one channel, so a voice at a low bit rate such as 64 kbps sounds cleaner.
- What are the free limits?
- Three files per run, 150 MB per file and 5 runs a day. Pro removes all three.