Skip to main content
Free File Converter

WAV to MP3 converter

Compress a large WAV recording to MP3 at a bitrate you choose.

Processed in your browser. This file is converted on your device and is never uploaded.

Converter

.wav up to 250 MB. You can also drag a file here.

Options

The first conversion downloads a 32 MB audio engine, which is then reused while this page stays open. Conversion runs on your device and is much slower than a desktop program: expect roughly real time for a long recording, and considerably slower on a phone.

The engine is ffmpeg.wasm, an unmodified build of FFmpeg licensed under the GPL, version 2 or later. It is served from this site's own asset domain, because it is too large for the limit our host places on a single file. It receives nothing about your file: it is a program your browser downloads and then runs on your device.

Higher quality means a larger file. This has no effect on WAV or FLAC, which do not discard anything.

No file selected.

About this tool

A WAV recording is often far too large to email or upload: an hour of audio runs to about 600 MB. Converting to MP3 typically cuts that by a factor of ten with no difference most listeners can hear.

Because the conversion happens in your browser, a large recording never has to be uploaded anywhere first, which is usually the slowest part of using an online converter.

Supported formats and limits

Input
.wav
Output
.mp3 (audio/mpeg)
Output name
The original name with the new extension, for example data.wav becomes data.mp3.
File size limit
250 MB
Processing
In your browser. The file is not uploaded.

How to use it

  1. Choose a .wav file.
  2. Pick a bitrate. 160 kbit/s suits speech and most music.
  3. Select Convert, then download the .mp3 file.

Limitations

  • MP3 is lossy. The conversion cannot be undone, so keep your original if it matters.
  • The output is encoded with LAME at a constant bitrate. Variable bitrate is not offered.
  • Tags and cover art are not preserved.
  • The first conversion downloads a 32 MB engine, and conversion is slower than a desktop program. A long recording can take several minutes.
  • Very large files can exhaust memory on phones and tablets.

Frequently asked questions

Is my file uploaded?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser. The only network request is for the conversion engine, which carries nothing about your recording.
Which bitrate should I choose?
96 kbit/s is fine for speech and podcasts. 160 kbit/s is a good balance for music. 256 kbit/s is close to transparent for most listeners and most material.
Would Opus be better?
Technically yes, at any given size. MP3 remains the safer choice when you do not control what the file will be played on. The general audio converter offers Opus if you do.
How long will it take?
Roughly real time or better on a desktop machine, and slower on a phone. The engine has to be downloaded first, which adds a moment to the first conversion.

Related tools