WAV to MP3 a heavy recording, light enough to send.
To convert WAV to MP3, pick the .wav file, leave the format on MP3 and download it. The MP3 is a constant 192 kbps, about 1.4 MB per minute, 7 to 12 times smaller than a recorder's WAV. That makes it easy to email or message. Free, no sign-up and no watermark.
Free, no sign-upLarge video: extracting can take a few minutes. Keep this tab open until it finishes.
How to turn WAV into MP3
- 01
Pick the .wav
Drag the recording into the dashed box or tap to choose it. A file from a recorder, an audio interface or an editor export all work.
- 02
Keep the recording's rate
If the WAV was recorded at 48 kHz, keep 48 kHz; if it came from a CD or a music project, 44.1 kHz. Mono only makes sense if there was a single mic.
- 03
Download the MP3
The button shows the percentage and time left. When it is done, download the .mp3, named after the WAV.
Where WAV files come from
WAV is the format of people who record audio carefully. Portable recorders, lav mic receivers, audio interfaces and editors like Audacity, Reaper and Pro Tools record or export WAV because it keeps the sound uncompressed. Tracks ripped from CDs often end up as WAV too.
The price is size. A WAV can be 16 or 24-bit, or 32-bit float on newer recorders, and every extra bit adds weight. A one-hour interview on a 24-bit recorder is over 1 GB, which won't fit in an email and takes a long time to send in a chat.
| WAV type (stereo) | Per minute | 1 hour |
|---|---|---|
| 16-bit, 44.1 kHz (CD) | ~10.6 MB | ~635 MB |
| 24-bit, 48 kHz (recorder) | ~17 MB | ~1 GB |
| 32-bit float, 48 kHz | ~23 MB | ~1.4 GB |
| 192 kbps MP3 | ~1.4 MB | ~86 MB |
How much smaller is a WAV as MP3?
It depends on how the WAV was recorded. A CD-quality WAV gets about 7 times smaller; a 24-bit, 48 kHz recorder file about 12 times; a 32-bit float file about 16 times. The MP3 always weighs the same per minute, because we write it at a constant 192 kbps, in stereo or mono.
That is what gets you past everyday limits: email attachments usually stop at 25 MB, and many upload forms accept less. As MP3, 15 minutes fit in one attachment; as a 24-bit WAV, not even 2 do.
- 45-minute podcast episode: from ~780 MB to ~65 MB.
- One-hour research interview: from ~1 GB to ~86 MB.
- 4-minute song from a CD: from ~42 MB to ~6 MB.
Does WAV to MP3 lose quality?
A little, but this is the best possible case: a WAV is uncompressed, so the MP3 starts from the full sound rather than from another compressed file. At 192 kbps, speech is indistinguishable from the original and music comes very close. Keep the WAV as your master: if you need to edit or master again, go back to it, not to the MP3.
Two things to watch with recorder files. The MP3 cannot keep anything above full scale; if a 32-bit float WAV has peaks over the ceiling, lower the level first. And a WAV with more than two channels, as some multitrack recorders produce, becomes stereo with the channels averaged. To get one mic only, convert that track's own file.
More than WAV to MP3. Your recording as text, chapters and snippets.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert WAV to MP3 for free?
Pick the .wav file on this page, leave the format on MP3 and click convert. The MP3 comes out at 192 kbps, named after the WAV. It is free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no usage limit.
How much space will I save?
Between 7 and 16 times, depending on the WAV. A CD-quality WAV is about 10.6 MB per minute, a 24-bit recorder file about 17 MB and a 32-bit float file about 23 MB. The MP3 always stays at about 1.4 MB per minute.
Does it work with 24-bit or 32-bit float WAV?
Yes. The sound is turned into 16 bits before it becomes an MP3. If a 32-bit float recording went over full scale somewhere, that excess is clipped in the MP3, so adjust the level before converting.
My WAV is 2 GB. Can I convert it?
Yes. The file is read in chunks, and the button shows the percentage and time left. Very large files take a few minutes; keep the tab open until it finishes.
48 kHz or 44.1 kHz?
The same rate as the WAV. Recorders and video use 48 kHz; CDs and music projects use 44.1 kHz. Keeping the original rate avoids one extra conversion. If you are not sure, 48 kHz is fine for speech.
Can I delete the WAV after converting?
Better not. The MP3 is great for listening and sending, but every new edit on top of it loses a little. Keep the WAV as your master and use the MP3 as a working copy to play, share or transcribe.
Recorded the interview as WAV? We turn it into text.
Upload the WAV straight from the recorder, no converting. We transcribe it with speakers and timestamps, and you download TXT, PDF or SRT, or just the passages as MP3.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.