Free tool
WAV to MP3 converter
Drop a WAV file to convert WAV to MP3 in your browser and make it 4 to 11 times smaller: pick 128, 192 or 320 kbps, and download the MP3 seconds later.
- Free
- Works on phones
- Nothing is uploaded
MP3 quality
Drop your WAV file here, or Choose your WAV file
Any audio or video file, up to 1 GB and 2 hours. It’s converted in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
MP3 encoding by LAME, open-source software.
Recorded an interview or a talk? NoteOwl turns WAV and MP3 recordings into transcripts with speaker names and notes, unlimited and privately on your Mac. Dictation into any app is free.
How it works
How do you convert WAV to MP3?
Drop the WAV file on the converter or choose it, and it converts at once. A WAV holds its sound uncompressed, so there’s nothing to decode: the page hands the samples straight to an MP3 encoder at the bitrate you picked. Play the result, then download it.
- 1
Choose a bitrate
320 kbps for music you’re sharing or archiving, 192 kbps for everyday listening, 128 kbps for speech.
- 2
Add the WAV
16-bit, 24-bit and 32-bit float files all work, mono or stereo, at any sample rate.
- 3
Download the MP3
It keeps the WAV’s name with .mp3 at the end, and its title and artist tags. The WAV stays as it was.
What is a WAV file?
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) stores sound uncompressed, sample by sample, so nothing is lost and the files are big. Audio interfaces, field recorders and most audio apps, from Audacity to Logic Pro, record or export WAV.
- Voice recorder: 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, mono
- One minute takes5.3 MB
- CD quality: 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo
- One minute takes10.6 MB
- Video and podcasts: 48 kHz, 16-bit, stereo
- One minute takes11.5 MB
- Studio: 48 kHz, 24-bit, stereo
- One minute takes17.3 MB
- High resolution: 96 kHz, 24-bit, stereo
- One minute takes34.6 MB
| WAV format | One minute takes |
|---|---|
| Voice recorder: 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, mono | 5.3 MB |
| CD quality: 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo | 10.6 MB |
| Video and podcasts: 48 kHz, 16-bit, stereo | 11.5 MB |
| Studio: 48 kHz, 24-bit, stereo | 17.3 MB |
| High resolution: 96 kHz, 24-bit, stereo | 34.6 MB |
How much smaller is an MP3 than a WAV?
4 to 11 times smaller than a CD-quality WAV, which runs at 1,411 kbps. A 320 kbps MP3 is about a quarter of the size; a 128 kbps MP3, enough for speech, is about a tenth.
- MP3 at 128 kbps
- One minute takes0.96 MB
- Against the WAV11 times smaller
- MP3 at 192 kbps
- One minute takes1.44 MB
- Against the WAV7 times smaller
- MP3 at 320 kbps
- One minute takes2.4 MB
- Against the WAV4.4 times smaller
| MP3 | One minute takes | Against the WAV |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 at 128 kbps | 0.96 MB | 11 times smaller |
| MP3 at 192 kbps | 1.44 MB | 7 times smaller |
| MP3 at 320 kbps | 2.4 MB | 4.4 times smaller |
Does converting WAV to MP3 lose quality?
Yes, a little. MP3 drops detail that’s hard to hear to make the file smaller. At 320 kbps the difference is very hard to hear, and for speech 128 kbps keeps every word clear. Keep the WAV as your master copy and share the MP3.
Can a WAV recording become a transcript?
Yes, on a Mac. NoteOwl imports WAV and MP3 recordings, transcribes them on your Mac with on-device AI models, labels each speaker and writes notes, with nothing uploaded.
FAQ
Questions about converting WAV to MP3
Is my WAV file uploaded?
No. NoteOwl’s WAV converter runs in your browser: the WAV is read from your device and the MP3 is made inside the page, then saved back to your device. A large recording never leaves your computer, and there is no account to create.
Why is my WAV file so big?
Because WAV stores every sample uncompressed. CD-quality stereo is 44,100 samples a second for each of two channels, at 2 bytes a sample: about 10.6 MB a minute. An MP3 at 192 kbps holds the same minute in about 1.4 MB.
Can it convert 24-bit or 96 kHz WAV files?
Yes. NoteOwl’s converter reads 8-, 16-, 24- and 32-bit WAV files, including 32-bit float, at any sample rate. MP3 can’t go above 48 kHz, so 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz recordings become 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz MP3s.
How long a WAV file can I convert?
NoteOwl’s converter takes WAV files up to 1 GB, which is about 1 hour 40 minutes of CD-quality stereo, and up to 2 hours long, in current Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari 26 or later. Older Safari versions convert up to 30 minutes.
Can I convert WAV to MP3 on my phone?
Yes. NoteOwl’s converter works in Safari on an iPhone or iPad and in Chrome on Android: tap Choose file, pick the WAV from your files, and download the MP3 when it’s ready. Nothing is uploaded from the phone either.
Keep exploring
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- Audio to text converterTranscribe audio to text free: drop in an MP3, M4A, WAV or other recording and get an AI transcript with times, as text, SRT, VTT or Word; nothing is stored
- Online voice recorderRecord your voice in the browser with a level meter, timer and pause, play it back, and save it as MP3 or WAV; nothing is uploaded
Related
- Audio to textTranscription software for your Mac: drop in an audio or video file and get a speaker-labelled transcript with timestamps, unlimited, with nothing uploaded
- Speaker recognitionTranscripts that say who said what: speakers separated automatically, and a voice named once is recognised in later meetings, on your Mac
- Export your notesExport meetings, dictations and notes as Markdown or PDF, imported transcripts as text or SRT, or everything as plain files; nothing is locked in
- WAV compressorMake a WAV smaller in your browser: lossless FLAC, a smaller WAV (lower sample rate, mono, 16-bit) or MP3, with the size before and after
Recordings into notes, privately on your Mac
Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.
macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended
About NoteOwl
NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.
NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds
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