A free WAV to MP3 converter that turns WAV files into MP3s at Apple's recommended bit rates, in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
Drop your WAV files and get MP3s at Apple's recommended bit rates. It all happens in this browser.
Your files
Settings
An hour at this setting is about 43,2 MB.
Convert
Add a file to convert.
Everything happens in this browser, so your files never leave your computer. MP3 is made with the LAME encoder, and loudness is measured to ITU-R BS.1770, the standard behind Apple's LKFS target.
This free WAV to MP3 converter turns WAV files into MP3s at Apple's own recommended bit rates, in your browser.
It can bring each file to Apple's -16 LUFS loudness and write your title and cover art into it. Nothing is uploaded, so big recordings work too.
Here's how much smaller an MP3 is, which bit rate to pick, and how to get it right for podcasts.
What is a WAV to MP3 converter?
A WAV to MP3 converter compresses a WAV file, which keeps every sample, into an MP3, which is a fraction of the size.
An hour of WAV at 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo is about 635 MB. The same hour as an MP3 at 128 kbps is about 58 MB.
Which bit rate to pick
Apple recommends these for podcasts:
| Format | Channels | Apple recommends |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Mono | 96 to 128 kbps, 44.1 or 48 kHz |
| MP3 | Stereo | 128 to 256 kbps, 44.1 or 48 kHz |
| AAC or MP3 in an RSS feed | Mono | 64 to 128 kbps |
| AAC or MP3 in an RSS feed | Stereo | 128 to 256 kbps |
That's from Apple's audio requirements, which also set the loudness: around -16 LKFS, give or take 1 dB, with no true peak over -1 dBFS.
For a show that's mostly talking, mono at 96 kbps sounds clean and keeps files small. Pick stereo when there's music, or a stereo mix you want to keep.
How much smaller your files get
The size of an hour of audio at each setting:
| Setting | An hour of audio |
|---|---|
| MP3, 96 kbps | 43 MB |
| MP3, 128 kbps | 58 MB |
| MP3, 192 kbps | 86 MB |
| MP3, 256 kbps | 115 MB |
| MP3, 320 kbps | 144 MB |
| WAV, 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo | 635 MB |
| WAV, 24-bit, 48 kHz stereo | 1.04 GB |
So a 635 MB WAV becomes about 43 MB as a mono MP3 at 96 kbps: 15 times smaller.
Even out the loudness
Tick "Even out the loudness" and the converter measures your audio first, then brings it to the level podcasts use: -16 LUFS for stereo, as Apple asks.
It measures to ITU-R BS.1770, the standard behind Apple's LKFS. On the example, it reads -23.4 LUFS, the same as FFmpeg's own loudness meter.
A mono file goes to -19 LUFS instead. Players put mono on both speakers, where it sounds 3 dB louder than it measures.
So -19 in mono sounds like -16 in stereo. That's the rule Auphonic and Google's loudness guidelines use.
A limiter keeps every peak under -1 dB, Apple's true peak ceiling. It looks 5 milliseconds ahead, so it lowers a peak smoothly instead of clipping it.
Tags and cover art
A WAV carries no cover art for podcast apps. Add your episode title, your show's name and your cover art under "Add tags and cover art", and they're written into each MP3.
Nothing is uploaded
Most online converters send your file to their server and send back the result. This one converts in your browser, so your file never leaves your computer.
That's why there's no size limit but your computer's memory, and why a long recording works too.
After you convert
Keep the WAV as your master: it's the one to edit again. Publish the MP3, then check your feed with the podcast RSS feed validator.
To go the other way, use the MP3 to WAV converter.
Who is the WAV to MP3 converter for?
It's for anyone with a WAV file that's too big to send or upload:
- MP3 to WAV converter – editors who need to go the other way
- Audio converter – anyone with audio in another format
- Audio to text converter – people who want the words from the recording
- Audiogram generator – podcasters who turn a clip into a video
More tools like these are on my free tools page.
Edit and publish your audio
Record and edit it with
WAV to MP3 Converter FAQs
Questions about the wAV to MP3 converter? Here's what to know.
A WAV to MP3 converter compresses a WAV file into an MP3, a fraction of the size.
An hour of 16-bit stereo WAV at 44.1 kHz is about 635 MB, and about 58 MB as an MP3 at 128 kbps.
Yes, MP3 drops detail most people can't hear, and more of it at lower bit rates.
Keep the WAV as your master and publish the MP3.
Apple recommends 96 to 128 kbps for mono and 128 to 256 kbps for stereo.
For speech, mono at 96 kbps is clean and small.
Yes, drop as many as you like and convert them together.
Download each MP3, or all of them as one ZIP.
Yes, this WAV to MP3 converter is free, with no account and no limit on files.
It runs in your browser, so it costs nothing to run.
No, the WAV to MP3 converter converts your files in your browser.
They never leave your computer.
This WAV to MP3 converter is for podcasters and anyone who works with audio:
- Podcast RSS feed validator – podcasters getting episodes ready for Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
- Podcast sponsorship calculator – shows that sell ads and need clean files.
- Top podcasts – anyone studying how the biggest shows sound.
Editors, teachers and musicians use it for quick conversions without installing anything.
I did.
I'm Navid Moazzez, and the WAV to MP3 converter is one of my free tools on navid.me.
Read more about me.
There's an audio converter, a WAV to MP3 converter, an M4A to MP3 converter, an MP4 to MP3 converter and an MP3 to WAV converter.
The rest are in free tools.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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