Convert WAV to MP3

What is MP3?

MP3 is the most widely supported audio format. It makes files much smaller by removing sounds most listeners can't hear. The result sounds close to the original for most people.

How to convert WAV to MP3

Drop one or more WAV files above. Leave the bitrate on Auto, which encodes WAV at 192 kbps, or pick a fixed rate in the options panel. Press Convert all and the files are encoded one after another in your browser. Download each MP3 or the whole batch as a ZIP.

How much you can compress WAV to MP3

The saving depends on the bitrate. A CD-quality stereo WAV at 44.1 kHz and 16-bit runs at about 1,411 kbps, or roughly 10.6 MB per minute. A 48 kHz, 24-bit WAV is bigger, at about 17.3 MB per minute. An MP3 takes about 2.4 MB per minute at 320 kbps, 1.4 MB at 192 kbps and 1 MB at 128 kbps. So a 192 kbps MP3 is about seven times smaller than a CD-quality WAV, and a 128 kbps MP3 is about eleven times smaller.

Choosing a bitrate and sample rate

On Auto, WAV files are usually encoded at 192 kbps, a good all-round setting. To compress a WAV file for a specific use, set a fixed bitrate in the options panel:

• 320 or 256 kbps for music you want to share at the best MP3 quality.
• 192 kbps for everyday listening. This is the Auto default for WAV.
• 128 kbps when file size matters more, such as long mixes and podcasts.
• 64 or 96 kbps for voice recordings such as interviews and lectures.
• Leave Sample rate on Auto for 44.1 or 48 kHz WAVs. For 88.2 or 96 kHz studio files, choose 44,100 or 48,000 Hz, the highest rates MP3 supports.

Keep the WAV master

MP3 is lossy. It removes sound that listeners are unlikely to notice, and converting back to WAV later won't restore it. Keep the original WAV for editing, mixing or mastering. Use the MP3 as the copy you share, upload or put on your phone.

Before you start

Input: WAV. Output: MP3. The settings appear before anything runs, so you can check them first. Your original file is never changed.

Converting audio can change the codec, bitrate, channels, tags and length. Listen to the start and end of the result. Keep a lossless original if you may edit it again.

Keep the original until you have opened and checked the result. The work happens in this browser tab, so the size you can handle depends on your device's memory, your browser and the file itself.

Steps to convert WAV to MP3

1. Drop your .wav files above, or browse to select them.
2. Leave the bitrate on Auto or pick one from 64 to 320 kbps. Set a sample rate if you need one.
3. Press Convert all. Encoding runs in your browser.
4. Download each MP3 on its own or all of them as a ZIP.