How do I convert a WAV file to MP3?
To convert WAV to MP3, open FixDoks's WAV to MP3 tool, select your recording, choose a bitrate such as 192kbps for music or 96kbps mono for voice, then click Convert to MP3. The conversion runs inside your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and the MP3 usually comes out about seven times smaller than the original WAV.
WAV to MP3 at a glance
| Input | WAV, up to 200 MB |
|---|---|
| Output | MP3, 96-320 kbps |
| Processing | In your browser; your files are not uploaded |
| Price | Free, no watermark |
| Download | Free Google sign-in |
| Works on | Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone |
How to use WAV to MP3
- Click Select WAV file and choose your recording.
- Pick a quality. 192 kbps for music, 96 or 128 kbps for voice.
- Click Convert to MP3 and download.
Why are WAV files so large?
WAV stores audio uncompressed. CD quality stereo WAV uses about 10 MB for every minute, so a one hour recording is around 600 MB. That is perfect for editing, because nothing is thrown away, but it is too big to email, share on WhatsApp or keep hundreds of on a phone.
MP3 uses a psychoacoustic model: it removes sounds the human ear cannot hear well, such as quiet tones masked by louder ones. At 192 kbps an MP3 is roughly one seventh the size of the WAV and sounds the same to nearly all listeners.
Choosing a bitrate
- 320 kbps: the highest MP3 setting, for music you care about.
- 192 kbps: a great default for music and mixed content.
- 128 kbps: fine for podcasts and background music.
- 96 kbps with Mono: ideal for voice notes, interviews and lectures. A one hour talk becomes about 40 MB.
Where WAV files come from
Field recorders, many Windows and Android voice recorder apps, DAWs like Audacity and GarageBand, call recording software and sample libraries all produce WAV. If you are sending the audio to someone who just needs to listen, MP3 is the right format. If they need to edit or master it, send the WAV.
Keep your WAV originals
MP3 is a lossy format. Converting from MP3 back to WAV makes the file big again but does not restore the removed detail. Keep the original WAV if you might edit it later, and share the MP3.
Other formats
Need something other than MP3? The Audio Converter also saves M4A (best for iPhone), OGG, Opus (excellent for speech at low bitrates) and FLAC (lossless, about half the size of WAV). To cut a section out of the recording first, use Audio Cutter.
Handled on your device
Large WAV files would take ages to upload. Here the conversion runs inside your browser, so there is no upload at all and the recording stays private. Files up to 200 MB are supported, which is about 20 minutes of CD quality stereo. For longer recordings, split them first or use a desktop app.
Mono or stereo?
Many voice recordings are stored as stereo WAV even though both channels contain the same sound. Ticking Mono merges them into one channel, which halves the MP3 size with no audible change for speech. Keep stereo for music, where the left and right channels carry different instruments.