WAV to MP3 Converter
Convert WAV to MP3 and shrink large recordings by up to ten times. Choose 128, 192, 256 or 320 kbps; long WAV files are read in pieces, so even hour-long recordings convert quickly, and nothing leaves your device.
- Free
- No upload
- No watermark
Files
Settings for all files
Options · 192 kbps · Stereo
More options
GIFs can be up to 60 s long (30 s on phones). Use Trim (⋯ on a file) to pick a part.
Same copies AAC sound without re-encoding when the file already has it.
16-bit PCM, the format CDs and every audio editor use.
Add files to see what will happen to each one.
Add files to convert
Runs in your browser. Engine: mp4box.js (BSD-3-Clause), mp4-muxer and webm-muxer (MIT), gifenc (MIT), LAME via lamejs (LGPL-3.0, GPL-3.0) – licenses.
What works in your browser
Everything runs on your device, so what you can create depends on the browser. The last column is checked live in the browser you are using now and always wins over the table.
| Output | Chrome / Edge | Chrome Android | Firefox 130+ | Safari 16.4–18 | Safari 26+ | This browser |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP4 (instant copy) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MP4 (re-encode, H.264) | Yes | Yes | Yes, sound as Opus | Yes, AAC sound copied only | Yes | – |
| MOV | Yes | Yes | Copies only | Yes, AAC sound copied only | Yes | – |
| WebM (VP9 + Opus) | Yes | Yes (slow) | Yes | Checked live | Checked live | – |
| GIF | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | – |
| MP3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, long files limited | Yes | – |
| M4A | Yes | Varies by device | Copies only | Copies only | Yes | – |
| WAV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, long files limited | Yes | – |
| Opus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Copies only | Checked live | – |
Instant copies work in every browser. Without WebCodecs (older browsers) re-encoding is not available, but MP3 and WAV files can still be made.
How to convert WAV to MP3
- Choose WAV files from a recorder, a DAW export or a sound library.
- MP3 is selected. Choose 320 kbps for music, 192 kbps for general use or 128 kbps for speech; Mono halves the size again.
- Press Convert – the WAV is read in pieces, so even long recordings start immediately.
- Download the MP3 files and send them by email or messenger, which often reject large WAV files.
For recordings of any length
Streams the WAV
One second of sound is read at a time, so a two-hour WAV needs no more memory than a short one.
24-bit and float WAV
Studio formats are supported and turned cleanly, without clipping, into the sound the MP3 encoder needs.
A folder of takes
Turn a whole session into MP3 in one go and download the files together as a ZIP.
Frequently asked questions
Is WAV to MP3 free and private?
Free, without limits or sign-up. The WAV is converted inside your browser, so studio takes, interviews and other unreleased recordings are never uploaded.
Which MP3 bitrate is closest to WAV quality?
320 kbps is the highest MP3 bitrate and the closest to the original WAV; in listening tests most people cannot tell 256 kbps from it. For spoken word, 128 kbps is plenty.
How much smaller will the MP3 be?
A CD-quality WAV uses 1,411 kbps, so a 192 kbps MP3 is about 7 times smaller and a 128 kbps MP3 about 11 times smaller. A 50 MB WAV song becomes about 7 MB at 192 kbps.
How long does WAV to MP3 take?
Encoding runs at about 30 times real time on a computer and 8 times on a phone, so a 4-minute song takes a few seconds and a one-hour recording a few minutes.
Which browsers can convert WAV to MP3?
Every current browser, because the WAV is read by Zebra Convert itself and the MP3 encoder runs in the page. Only the size of the result is limited, by the memory of your device.
What happens to quality
WAV stores sound uncompressed: CD-quality stereo takes about 10 MB per minute. MP3 removes the parts of the sound that the ear does not notice, so 192 kbps needs only about 1.4 MB per minute – seven times less – and sounds the same for most listening. For music masters or material you will edit again, keep the WAV and make the MP3 only for sharing.
Zebra Convert reads 16-bit, 24-bit and 32-bit integer and floating-point WAV files, including the extensible format many recorders and DAWs write, one second at a time, so memory stays low however long the file is. High-resolution 96 kHz files become 48 kHz MP3s, the highest rate MP3 supports; 44.1 and 48 kHz are kept as they are. WAV files larger than 4 GB (RF64) are not supported yet.