WAV to MP3 converter
Shrink big WAV recordings down to MP3.
Runs in your browser. Your files never leave your device.
- Up to 90% smaller
- Choose the bitrate
- Nothing uploaded
How to convert WAV to MP3
- Drop your WAV files here.
- Pick a bitrate.
- Download the MP3 files.
Why WAV files are so large
| Format | 3 minute song, about |
|---|---|
| WAV (uncompressed) | 30 MB |
| MP3 at 320 kbps | 7 MB |
| MP3 at 192 kbps | 4 to 5 MB |
| MP3 at 128 kbps | 3 MB |
WAV stores every sample with no compression at all, which is exactly what makes it reliable for editing but heavy to store or send.
When to keep WAV instead
- Keep the WAV if you plan to edit the audio further: repeated saving as MP3 compounds quality loss, while WAV never does.
- Convert to MP3 once editing is finished and you're ready to share, archive casually, or save space.
- For voice recordings and podcasts, 128 or 192 kbps MP3 is usually indistinguishable from the WAV original.
- If you're emailing a recording and it bounces for being too large, that's almost always a WAV file that MP3 would fix in one step.
A format built for editing, not sharing
WAV dates back to 1991, created by Microsoft and IBM as a simple way to store raw digital audio exactly as recorded, with no compression to undo before working with it. That's still why recording software defaults to it today. MP3 came a few years later, designed for the opposite goal: keeping the sound close enough while cutting the file down for transfer and storage, which is what makes it the better choice once you're done editing.
WAV to MP3 FAQ
How much smaller will the file be?
WAV stores audio uncompressed, so a 3 minute song can be 30 MB as WAV and around 4 to 5 MB as MP3 at 192 kbps, a reduction of roughly 85 to 90 percent.
Will I lose quality?
At 256 or 320 kbps the difference is hard to hear for most people. Lower bitrates save more space with more compression, which starts to affect cymbals, reverb tails and other fine detail first.
Why do recordings save as WAV?
Microphones, voice recorders, DAWs and audio interfaces often save WAV by default because it needs no processing to write, unlike a compressed format.
What sample rate and bit depth does the MP3 keep?
The encoder works from your WAV's audio directly, so a standard 44.1kHz or 48kHz recording converts cleanly. MP3 itself has no separate bit depth setting the way WAV does.
Is WAV always uncompressed?
Yes, standard WAV files use raw PCM audio with no compression at all, which is exactly why they're so much larger than MP3 for the same length.
Can I convert a whole album's worth of WAV files at once?
Yes. Drop them all in, pick a bitrate, and download them individually or as one ZIP.
Why is a recording studio file so much bigger than a downloaded song?
A studio recording or voice memo saved straight from a microphone is usually WAV, which stores audio uncompressed. A song you download or stream is almost always already compressed to MP3, AAC or a similar format, which is why the two can differ in size by 5 to 10 times for the same length.
Is my recording uploaded?
No. The conversion runs entirely on your device.