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Convert WAV to MP3

Turn your WAV files into MP3 — free, fast and right in your browser.

Runs locally — nothing is uploaded

Drop WAV files here — or click to browse

Files are converted in your browser and never uploaded.

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This tool converts WAV files to MP3 right in your browser. Drop the file, pick a bitrate, download — the recording is decoded and re-encoded on your device and never uploaded anywhere. The result is a finished MP3 file, no watermark and no signup.

What is WAV?

WAV is the RIFF container Microsoft and IBM specified in 1991, and it normally holds completely uncompressed PCM audio — exactly the samples an editor, a CD or a sampler expects. CD quality (44.1 kHz, 16 bit, stereo) means 1,411 kbit/s, roughly 10.6 MB per minute. Nothing is thrown away, but RIFF stores its sizes in 32-bit fields, so a classic WAV file cannot exceed 4 GiB — about 6.7 hours of stereo.

What is MP3?

MP3 (MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer III) is the lossy audio format that made digital music portable. It was standardised in 1993 as part of ISO/IEC 11172-3 and plays on practically every phone, browser, car radio and cheap MP3 stick of the last 25 years. At the common 192 kbit/s one minute of stereo audio needs about 1.44 MB. Its last patents ran out in 2017, when Fraunhofer IIS ended the mp3 licensing programme — which is why free MP3 encoders are everywhere today.

Why convert WAV to MP3?

WAV files from recording and editing software are unwieldy. For sending them by mail, uploading to a podcast host or feeding a player that only knows MP3, converting is the shortest route to a file that works everywhere.

How much smaller does the file get?

The maths is easy to follow: CD-quality WAV stores 44,100 samples per second, 16 bit, two channels — that is 1,411 kbit/s or 10.6 MB per minute. MP3 at 192 kbit/s needs 1.44 MB per minute, so the file shrinks to roughly one seventh, about 86% smaller. Pick 128 kbit/s (0.96 MB per minute) and it is a good 90%.

What are the limits?

This step is final: MP3 throws away signal that converting back to WAV cannot restore. Keep the WAV while you are still cutting or mixing and convert at the very end. Because WAV is lossless, exactly one lossy stage is involved — the best case MP3 can offer. Speech is fine at 128 kbit/s, music usually gets 192 to 320 kbit/s.

How to convert

1. Drop your WAV file(s) into the area or click to browse. 2. The target format MP3 is fixed; for MP3 you also pick the bitrate (128, 192 or 320 kbit/s). 3. Click Convert and download the file — multiple files come as a ZIP.

Frequently asked questions

Is converting WAV to MP3 free?

Yes, completely free and without signup. There are no watermarks and no file-size limits beyond what your browser can handle.

Are my files uploaded?

No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser — your WAV file never leaves your device and is not sent to any server.

Do I lose quality converting WAV to MP3?

Yes — MP3 is lossy and removes signal for good. Since WAV is lossless, there is exactly one such stage, which is the best possible case. Speech is fine at 128 kbit/s, music usually gets 192 to 320 kbit/s. Keep the original as your archive.

Can I convert several files at once?

Yes. Just drop multiple files into the area — they are converted together and you can download them as a ZIP.

How long may my file be?

Up to about 30 minutes. For converting, the audio has to be fully decoded in memory — one stereo minute at 44.1 kHz takes roughly 21 MB there, so 30 minutes is already about 635 MB. Split longer recordings first.

Are title, artist and cover art preserved?

No. The file is decoded to raw audio and written anew, which drops ID3 tags and embedded cover art. Add the details afterwards in your player or a tag editor.