WAV to MP3 Converter
Convert WAV to MP3 in your browser and shrink recordings, bounces and CD rips to a fraction of their size. Pick any bitrate from 64 to 320 kbps, drop as many files as you like and download them one by one or as a ZIP. The WAV files are read from your own disk and never uploaded, so there is no size cap and nothing to sign up for.
- Runs on your device
- WebCodecs · GPU
- FFmpeg
- Works offline
Updated
Drop your audio files here
How to convert WAV to MP3
Step 1: Drop your WAV files on the box above (AIFF works too), or tap it to choose them.
Step 2: Choose a Bitrate: 320 kbps to keep a master, 192 kbps for everyday music, 128 kbps for speech.
Step 3: Press Convert. Each file is encoded as soon as the one before it finishes.
Step 4: Download the MP3s one at a time, or all at once as a ZIP.
Good to know
Settings explained
- Bitrate
- 128 kbps is fine for speech, 192 kbps for music, 320 kbps is the MP3 maximum.
- OGG codec
- Godot, Unity and older players need Vorbis. Vorbis uses the FFmpeg engine (≈31 MB, downloaded once).
- Opus: Smaller
- Vorbis: Games, older players
Formats
Batch-friendly: add many files and they are processed one after another — if one fails, the rest still finish.
How it runs
- Hardware video engine
- Video is decoded and encoded by your device’s media hardware through WebCodecs — usually several times faster than real time.
- FFmpeg (when needed)
- Older formats and a few filters use FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly. It downloads once (about 31 MB) the first time it is needed and is cached for offline use.
WAV vs MP3: which is better?
WAV is better for recording and editing because it stores every sample exactly. MP3 is better for listening, sharing and storing large collections because it is up to ten times smaller and plays everywhere. Most people keep the WAV as the master and send the MP3.
| WAV | MP3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | None (uncompressed PCM) | Lossy, removes sound you are unlikely to hear |
| Size of a 3-minute stereo song | About 31.8 MB (44.1 kHz, 16-bit) | 7.2 MB at 320 kbps, 4.3 MB at 192 kbps |
| Quality | Identical to the recording | Very close at 192–320 kbps, audible artefacts at low bitrates |
| Editing | Ideal: no generation loss when you re-save | Each re-save loses a little more |
| Tags (title, artist, cover) | Limited and often ignored by players | ID3 tags, read by almost every player |
| Plays on | Computers, DAWs, most phones | Practically everything, including old car stereos |
| Best for | Masters, recording, editing, CD burning | Listening, email, podcasts, uploads |
What is a WAV file?
A WAV file (Waveform Audio File Format, sometimes written “wave”) is a container from Microsoft and IBM that almost always holds uncompressed PCM audio: every sample of the sound wave stored as a plain number. CD audio is 44,100 samples per second, 16 bits each, for two channels. Studio recordings often use 48 kHz and 24 bits.
Because nothing is thrown away, WAV is the format recorders, DAWs and sample libraries use. The price is size: a one-hour stereo recording at CD quality is about 635 MB, too big for email, chat apps or most phones’ music folders.
How much smaller is an MP3 than a WAV?
Between about 4 and 11 times smaller, depending on the bitrate you choose. A CD-quality WAV runs at 1,411 kbps, so a 320 kbps MP3 is about 4.4 times smaller and a 128 kbps MP3 about 11 times smaller. High-resolution WAVs (48 kHz, 24-bit) shrink even more.
| File | Bitrate | Size per minute | vs CD-quality WAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAV 48 kHz / 24-bit | 2,304 kbps | 17.3 MB | 1.6× larger |
| WAV 44.1 kHz / 16-bit (CD) | 1,411 kbps | 10.6 MB | — |
| MP3 320 kbps | 320 kbps | 2.4 MB | 4.4× smaller |
| MP3 256 kbps | 256 kbps | 1.92 MB | 5.5× smaller |
| MP3 192 kbps (default) | 192 kbps | 1.44 MB | 7.4× smaller |
| MP3 128 kbps | 128 kbps | 0.96 MB | 11× smaller |
Does converting WAV to MP3 lose quality?
Yes, a little, because MP3 is lossy. At 320 kbps the difference is very hard to hear; at 192 kbps it is inaudible for most music on most headphones; at 128 kbps cymbals and reverb tails can start to sound swishy. Keep the WAV if you may edit or remaster the track later, since every MP3 re-encode adds loss.
A few format limits are worth knowing. MP3 holds at most two channels, so a 5.1 WAV is mixed down to stereo. MP3 also tops out at 48 kHz: 96 kHz files become 48 kHz and 88.2 kHz files become 44.1 kHz. Recordings below 32 kHz, such as 22.05 kHz voice files, are capped at 160 kbps (64 kbps below 16 kHz), and the result card tells you when that happens.
Should you pick 192 or 320 kbps?
Pick 320 kbps when the WAV is a finished master, a DJ track or a CD rip you will not convert again: it is the MP3 maximum and costs only about 2.4 MB per minute. Pick 192 kbps for everyday listening copies, where it sounds the same to most people at 60% of the size. Pick 128 kbps for voice recordings, lectures and podcasts.
If you need to hit a size limit rather than a quality level, the audio compressor goes down to 48 kbps and can switch to AAC or Opus, which hold up better than MP3 at small sizes.
Convert WAV to MP3 on Windows, Mac, iPhone or Android
This converter runs in the browser, so the steps match on every device. The built-in alternatives are listed honestly where they exist.
Windows 10 and 11
Drag WAV files from File Explorer into Chrome, Edge or Firefox here. Windows has no built-in WAV to MP3 batch converter. If you prefer an installed app, Audacity, a free desktop editor, can also export MP3.
Mac
Drag the files from Finder into Safari or Chrome. The Music app can make MP3 versions after you set its import encoder to MP3, but only for songs already in your library.
iPhone and iPad
If a recorder app saved WAV files to the Files app, open this page in Safari, tap the drop zone, choose Choose Files, pick the recordings and press Convert; the MP3s are saved back to Downloads in Files.
Android
In Chrome, tap the drop zone and select WAV files from your recorder’s folder or Downloads. The MP3s appear in Downloads, ready for WhatsApp, email or a music player.
Tips & troubleshooting
Converting a whole album or a session? Drop every WAV at once and use Download all to get one ZIP instead of dozens of files.
Bounces from different songs at different levels? Run the MP3s through normalize audio so a playlist plays evenly.
Recorded in 24-bit with lots of silence at the start or end? Trim it first with the MP3 cutter, which also accepts WAV.
Need MP3 from other formats too, such as M4A voice memos or a video? The MP3 converter accepts any audio or video file.
Going the other way for an editor or CD? Use MP3 to WAV, and remember it cannot bring back what the MP3 removed.
WAV to MP3 Converter FAQ
Does converting WAV to MP3 lose quality?
Yes, MP3 is lossy, but at 192–320 kbps the loss is very hard to hear on normal playback equipment. Keep your WAV as the master if you might edit it again, because every new MP3 encode removes a little more detail.
Is a WAV file the same as an MP3?
No. A WAV usually stores uncompressed PCM samples, while an MP3 stores compressed audio that leaves out sound the ear is unlikely to notice. Both play the same music, but the WAV is roughly 4 to 11 times larger and better suited to editing.
Is MP3 better than WAV?
MP3 is better for listening, sharing and saving space; WAV is better for recording, editing and archiving. For a phone, a car or an email attachment, a 192 or 320 kbps MP3 is the practical choice.
Can I convert WAV to MP3 at 320 kbps?
Yes. Choose 320 kbps under Bitrate before you press Convert. This works for WAVs at 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz; lower sample rates are limited to 160 kbps by the MP3 format itself.
How do I convert WAV to MP3 on a Mac without software?
Open this page in Safari, drag the WAV files from Finder onto the drop zone and press Convert. Nothing is installed and the files stay on your Mac. The MP3s are saved to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert large WAV files?
Yes. The WAV is streamed from your disk in chunks rather than uploaded, so hour-long recordings work on a desktop computer. Phones handle long files too, though very large ones are limited by the phone’s memory.
Is my recording uploaded?
No. ProMedia converts the WAV inside your browser. No server receives the file, so unreleased music and private recordings stay on your device, and the converter keeps working offline once the page has loaded.