Settings for this task
| Use case | Setting | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Draft mix | 192–320 kbps · stereo | Keep percussion and spatial detail under review. |
| Spoken interview | 96–128 kbps · mono | Use mono only if channel separation is unnecessary. |
How to use this tool
- Upload the WAV and verify its duration.
- Choose MP3 bitrate and retain the source sample rate unless the destination requires another.
- Download a separately named listening copy and compare it with the WAV.
Calculated size examples
Calculated, not measured uploads: bytes ≈ bitrate (kb/s) × seconds × 1,000 ÷ 8. MB here means 1,000,000 bytes. Headers, tags and variable bitrate affect actual size. Channels are already included in the total bitrate; do not multiply again.
| Output duration | Format | Bitrate | Estimated audio payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | MP3 | 192 kb/s | 1.44 MB |
| 10:00 | MP3 | 128 kb/s | 9.6 MB |
Why PCM recordings are large
For uncompressed PCM, size follows sample rate × bit depth × channels × seconds ÷ 8. One minute of 44,100 Hz, 16-bit stereo contains 10,584,000 bytes of sample data. A 192 kbps MP3 of that duration has approximately 1,440,000 bytes of encoded audio, before headers.
Do not confuse bitrate and bit depth
MP3 bitrate controls the data budget per second. WAV bit depth describes the precision of PCM samples. Selecting a high MP3 bitrate does not retain a 24-bit master as editable 24-bit PCM. There is no bit-depth selector on this page; use the original WAV for that requirement.
Check difficult passages, not only silence
A quiet introduction can conceal encoding artifacts that appear during cymbals or multiple voices. Compare loud and busy sections at similar playback volume. If the export fails, verify the WAV plays locally: the container can hold several codecs, and an extension alone does not prove the stream is readable.
Questions about this operation
- Is WAV-to-MP3 lossless?
- No. MP3 discards some information, even when the result sounds satisfactory.
- Can I convert back to recover the WAV?
- You can decode MP3 to WAV, but discarded detail will not return. Keep the source separately.
- Will 48 kHz sound better than 44.1 kHz?
- Changing the rate does not create missing detail. Match a delivery requirement or preserve the source rate.
- Does a silent WAV compress more?
- MP3 size at a selected bitrate is mainly duration-driven. Lossless FLAC has different content-dependent behavior.
- Why keep stereo for music?
- Mono removes left-right placement. That may change the mix even if the bitrate is high.