WAV to MP3 Converter
Free online WAV to MP3 converter. Drop your WAV file, choose a bitrate and download a small, high-quality MP3 — no upload, no software to install.
Why convert WAV to MP3?
WAV is an uncompressed, lossless audio format — big files that store the full raw signal, common for recordings, samples and audio you've edited. A WAV file can be ten times larger than an MP3 of the same audio. Converting to MP3 shrinks it dramatically for sharing, streaming and storage while sounding virtually identical. To convert, drop your WAV file above, pick an MP3 bitrate and press Convert to MP3 — everything runs on your device with ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, so nothing is uploaded. The saving is dramatic and easy to predict: a 3-minute 16-bit/44.1 kHz stereo WAV is about 32 MB, and the same audio as a 192 kbps MP3 is about 4.3 MB — roughly 87% smaller, for a difference almost nobody can hear. That is usually the difference between a recording you can email and one you cannot. If your WAV is 24-bit or 96 kHz, the MP3 encoder resamples it down to CD rate, which is expected and inaudible at these bitrates. Converting a different pair? Use the Audio Converter.
How to convert WAV to MP3 in three steps
All three happen in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
- Load your WAV. Drag a .wav file onto the box above, or click to choose one. Audacity exports, Zoom and OBS recordings, field recordings and DAW bounces all work.
- Pick a bitrate and convert. Choose an MP3 bitrate between 96 and 320 kbps, then press Convert to MP3. The first conversion downloads the ffmpeg engine (about 10 MB); later runs start instantly.
- Preview and download. Check the result in the page, then download the .mp3. No watermark, no file-size cap beyond your device's memory.
How much smaller will my file get?
Uncompressed 16-bit / 44.1 kHz stereo WAV is 1,411 kbps — about 10 MB per minute.
| Recording length | WAV (16-bit stereo) | MP3 at 128 kbps | MP3 at 192 kbps | MP3 at 320 kbps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | ~10.6 MB | ~1.0 MB | ~1.4 MB | ~2.4 MB |
| 3 minutes | ~32 MB | ~2.9 MB | ~4.3 MB | ~7.2 MB |
| 10 minutes | ~106 MB | ~9.6 MB | ~14 MB | ~24 MB |
| 1 hour | ~635 MB | ~58 MB | ~86 MB | ~144 MB |
For spoken word — interviews, lectures, podcasts — 96 to 128 kbps is plenty and roughly a tenth of the WAV. For music, 192 kbps is the sensible default and 256 to 320 kbps is near-transparent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert WAV to MP3?
Drop your WAV file onto the box above (or click to choose it), pick an MP3 bitrate, and press Convert to MP3. The MP3 is created on your device and a download button appears — no upload, no sign-up. The engine downloads once (about 10 MB) on the first conversion, and later runs start instantly.
Is this WAV to MP3 converter free and private?
Yes — this WAV to MP3 converter is free, with no sign-up and no watermark. The conversion runs entirely in your browser with ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly — your WAV file is never uploaded, logged or stored. That makes it safe for private recordings and music you own, and closing the tab clears everything.
Will converting WAV to MP3 reduce the quality?
WAV is lossless and MP3 is compressed, so this is the audio's first compression — that's exactly what MP3 is for. At 192 kbps it's a good all-round choice; 256–320 kbps is near-transparent for music. The bitrate menu offers 96, 128, 192, 256 and 320 kbps.
What MP3 bitrate should I choose for a WAV?
Because WAV is uncompressed at 1,411 kbps, every MP3 bitrate is a large saving — the question is only how much quality you want to keep. Use 96 to 128 kbps mono for voice recordings, 192 kbps for general music, and 256 to 320 kbps when the WAV is a master you want to preserve as closely as possible. Your original WAV is left untouched, so you can re-encode at a different bitrate whenever you like.
How big a WAV can I convert?
A WAV has no upload size limit, because nothing is uploaded — the ceiling is your device's memory. WAV files are large (about 10 MB per minute), so an hour-long recording is roughly 635 MB and is much happier on a laptop than a phone. If it stalls, cut it into parts first. You need a current Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox — the engine uses WebAssembly and DecompressionStream.