WAV to MP3 Converter
Drop a WAV file from a field recorder, Windows Sound Recorder or a podcast setup, pick the quality, and download an MP3 about a tenth of the size. Free, no account, and the recording is not uploaded.
Drop your WAV file here or click to browse
WAV, FLAC, WEBM, M4A, OGG, OPUS, AAC, MP4 or MP3, up to 100 MB and 30 minutes.
The file is converted in your browser and is not uploaded.
How to convert WAV to MP3
Three steps, all in your browser.
- 1
Find the WAV file
Copy it off the recorder's SD card or USB connection, or find it in the folder your recording app saves to. Then drag it onto the converter. A stereo CD-quality WAV reaches the 100 MB limit at about 9 minutes and 54 seconds, so split longer recordings first.
- 2
Pick the bitrate by what is on it
Speech (interviews, meetings, lectures, voice notes) sounds clear at 64 or 96 kbps. Keep 128 kbps as the all-round default, and choose 192 or 320 kbps for music or anything you will edit later.
- 3
Download and check the size
The MP3 keeps the WAV's name with an .mp3 ending. Play it in the preview, then download it: at 128 kbps it is about 11 times smaller than the CD-quality WAV it came from.
Why WAV files are so big
A WAV file stores every sample, uncompressed. At CD quality that is 44,100 samples a second, 16 bits each, for 2 channels: 44,100 × 16 × 2 = 1,411,200 bits a second, or 176,400 bytes. A minute of it is 10,584,000 bytes, about 10 MB.
An MP3 throws away what the ear is least likely to miss and stores the rest at a fixed rate. At 128 kbps that is 128,000 bits a second, 960,000 bytes a minute, about 0.9 MB: roughly 11 times smaller than the WAV, a saving of about 91%.
That is why a 20-minute interview recorded as WAV can be over 200 MB, too big for most email and upload forms, while the same interview as a 128 kbps MP3 is about 18 MB.
WAV and MP3 size per minute
Computed from the formats, not measured from a sample file. MP3 sizes are the same for mono and stereo at a given bitrate.
| Format | 1 minute | 10 minutes | 60 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAV, 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo (CD quality) | 10.1 MB | 100.9 MB | 605.6 MB |
| WAV, 48 kHz, 16-bit, stereo | 11.0 MB | 109.9 MB | 659.2 MB |
| WAV, 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, mono | 5.0 MB | 50.5 MB | 302.8 MB |
| MP3, 64 kbps | 469 KB | 4.6 MB | 27.5 MB |
| MP3, 96 kbps | 703 KB | 6.9 MB | 41.2 MB |
| MP3, 128 kbps | 938 KB | 9.2 MB | 54.9 MB |
| MP3, 192 kbps | 1.4 MB | 13.7 MB | 82.4 MB |
| MP3, 320 kbps | 2.3 MB | 22.9 MB | 137.3 MB |
Where WAV files come from
WAV is the default of many recorders because it is simple and lossless. These are the files people most often need to shrink.
Field and handheld recorders
Handheld recorders and camera audio recorders usually save WAV to an SD card. Great for editing, heavy for sharing: an hour of stereo is over 600 MB.
Windows and desktop recorders
Desktop recording apps and audio editors often record or export WAV by default. Converting to MP3 makes the file small enough to email or attach.
Podcast and interview setups
Audio interfaces, podcast recorders and interview recorders write WAV so nothing is lost in the edit. Send the MP3 to a guest or a colleague for review and keep the WAV as the master.
Audio exported from meetings and editors
A meeting recording's audio exported from an editor, or a mixdown from a music app, often comes out as WAV. An MP3 copy is easier to archive and share.
Which bitrate for speech, and which for music
Speech: 64 or 96 kbps
One voice, or a few, uses a narrow slice of the frequency range, so a low bitrate keeps it clear. A 30-minute interview at 64 kbps is about 14 MB.
Everyday: 128 kbps
The default. Speech sounds the same as at 96, and background music or room sound keeps more detail. About 0.9 MB a minute.
Music or editing: 192 or 320 kbps
Music has more going on across the whole range. Choose 192 or 320 kbps for music, or when the MP3 will be edited and re-exported. Keep the WAV if you may need to edit again.
From audio file to what was said
Converting is one step; reading what was said is the next. ParrotNotes records on your phone and gives you the transcript and a summary, free for 100 minutes a month.
Get ParrotNotes freeRelated tools
- Audio CompressorCompress an MP3, WAV or voice memo to a smaller MP3 in your browser, with the size before and after, so it fits an email or an upload limit.Open the tool
- OGG and Opus to MP3 ConverterTurn a WhatsApp or Telegram voice note (OGG or Opus) into an MP3 that plays everywhere, converted in your browser without uploading the file.Open the tool
- Voice Memo to MP3 ConverterTurn an iPhone voice memo (m4a) into an MP3 in your browser. The recording is not uploaded; pick a bitrate and download the file.Open the tool
- Audio to Text ConverterUpload an audio or video file up to 10 minutes and get an accurate transcript and a short summary, saved to your free ParrotNotes account.Open the tool