Convert WAV to MP3
To convert WAV to MP3, add your .wav file below: ffmpeg in your browser encodes it with LAME at high quality (VBR, around 190 kbit/s), usually about a seventh of the WAV's size. Nothing is uploaded.
About converting WAV to MP3
WAV (.wav) files can be converted to MP3 entirely in your browser — no software to install, no file upload, and no account required. The conversion runs on a WebAssembly build of ffmpeg directly on your device.
Common uses
- Shrinking recordings from a DAW, field recorder or voice app before sharing
- Making a file small enough for email or messaging apps
- Building a music library that plays on any device
Quality settings used
WAV is uncompressed, so this is a single lossy encode with LAME at -q:a 2 (variable bitrate, around 190 kbit/s on average). For most listeners that is indistinguishable from the original. A standard 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo WAV runs at about 1,411 kbit/s, which is why the MP3 is so much smaller.
Keep the WAV if you'll edit the audio again later: re-editing and re-encoding MP3s adds loss each time.
Technical comparison
| WAV | MP3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | audio | audio |
| Compression type | Uncompressed (PCM) | Lossy |
| Typical file size | Large — roughly 10MB per minute at 16-bit/44.1kHz stereo | Small — roughly 1MB per minute at 128–192kbps |
| Transparency support | N/A (audio) | N/A (audio) |
How to convert WAV to MP3 privately
Every step below runs on a WebAssembly build of ffmpeg inside this browser tab. Your .wav file is never uploaded to a server — there's no network request carrying it anywhere.
Add your WAV file
Drag and drop, or click to select, a file (.wav). It's read straight from disk into browser memory — no upload step exists.
Convert locally
FreePrivateConvert converts it to MP3 using a WebAssembly build of ffmpeg, entirely within this browser tab.
Download the result
Save your converted .mp3 file. It only ever existed in this tab's memory — closing the tab without downloading discards it completely.
Troubleshooting
- The tab runs out of memory on a long recording
- WAV files are large (about 10MB per minute in CD quality). Files up to 500MB are accepted; for longer recordings, close other tabs or split the file first.
Convert WAV to MP3 with ffmpeg (command line)
Prefer the terminal? This is the exact ffmpeg command this page runs for you:
ffmpeg -i input.wav -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 2 output.mp3- -i input.wav
- Your WAV file.
- -c:a libmp3lame
- Encode the audio as MP3 (LAME encoder).
- -q:a 2
- Variable-bitrate MP3 quality 2 on a 0-9 scale (lower is better; 2 is roughly 190 kbps).
- output.mp3
- The MP3 file to create. ffmpeg picks the container from this extension.
Don't have ffmpeg installed? You don't need it: use the converter at the top of this page. It runs the same conversion on your own device, and your file is never uploaded.
FAQ
- Is my file uploaded anywhere?
- No. Your file is read and processed inside this browser tab and never leaves your device. You can confirm it in your browser's developer tools: the Network tab shows no upload.
- Does converting WAV to MP3 reduce quality?
- MP3 is lossy, but WAV is lossless, so this is a single encode at LAME's high-quality VBR setting (-q:a 2, around 190 kbit/s): transparent for most listeners at a fraction of the size.
- Is there a file size limit?
- Yes: 500MB per file. There's no account and no limit on how many files you convert.
- What's the difference between WAV and MP3?
- WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) and MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer III) store data differently. WAV: uncompressed (PCM). MP3: lossy. MP3 is the most widely compatible lossy audio format — plays on essentially every device and app made in the last two decades.
- Why convert WAV to MP3?
- Common uses for MP3: Podcasts and audiobooks; Music distribution and downloads; Extracting audio from video. Universal hardware and software decoder support, making it the safest choice for compatibility.
- What MIME type does a .mp3 file use?
- audio/mpeg, the standard type for MPEG-1 Audio Layer III.
- What is the ffmpeg command to convert WAV to MP3?
- Run: ffmpeg -i input.wav -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 2 output.mp3. This is the exact command FreePrivateConvert runs for this conversion, so you can use this page instead of installing ffmpeg: it runs the same conversion inside your browser.
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