WAV to MP3
Free WAV to MP3 converter that runs entirely in your browser — Windows, Mac, Linux, phone. No upload, no account, no watermark, 128–320 kbps. No upload — runs 100% in your browser
or click to browse
How to use this tool
- Drop your .wav file on the box above, or click to browse.
- Pick a bit rate — 128 kbps is the standard default; go higher for archiving.
- Your browser decodes the WAV and the LAME encoder compresses it to MP3 on your device.
- Click Download. Nothing was uploaded at any point.
What converting WAV to MP3 actually does
A WAV file stores every sample uncompressed — that is why a minute of stereo music takes about 10.09 MiB. MP3 is a lossy codec: to reach roughly one-eleventh of that size it analyses the signal through a psychoacoustic model and discards detail the model predicts you will not miss. At 128 kbps a minute of stereo MP3 costs about 0.92 MiB; at 320 kbps about 2.30 MiB. The size is fixed by the bit rate — a quiet ballad and a loud metal track at the same bit rate come out nearly the same size.
Because MP3 discards information, the conversion is one-way: you cannot get the WAV back from the MP3. Keep your original WAV if there is any chance you will edit, remix or re-convert the audio later. Converting an MP3 to WAV and back again does not restore anything — each lossy pass compounds the last.
Why the smallest bit rates are not offered
Most converters happily let you pick 32 or 64 kbps. This page deliberately does not: the LAME encoder quietly resamples your audio to a lower rate when the bit rate drops too far below what each sampling rate can carry (below 64 kbps for mono, below 112 kbps for stereo at 44,100 Hz). You would receive a file whose sample rate silently differs from what you asked for. Every option here — 128 through 320 kbps — sits safely above that boundary, verified with an independent MP3 parser.
Legal status: the patents expired
MP3 used to sit under a wall of patents licensed through Fraunhofer and Technicolor. The last core MP3 patent expired on 23 April 2017, which is why free encoders like LAME can ship everywhere today. Encoding your own files is entirely legal; this page only asks that the LAME project be credited, which it is below.
MP3 encoding on this page uses LAME (compiled to JavaScript as the lamejs library) under the GNU LGPL. Your audio never touches a server — only this page and the encoder library are fetched from the web.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this WAV to MP3 converter really free?
Yes, with no trial limits, no account and no watermark. The conversion happens on your device: the page loads once, the LAME encoder library is fetched alongside it, and after that your browser does all the work locally.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The file is read by your browser, decoded by your browser's audio engine and encoded to MP3 by JavaScript running on this page. You can disconnect from the network after the page loads and it still works.
Does converting WAV to MP3 lose quality?
Some, by design — MP3 is lossy, and the whole point is to discard detail you are unlikely to notice to make files eleven times smaller. At 128 kbps the difference is hard to hear in normal listening; at 192 kbps or above it is effectively transparent for most material and most listeners. The original WAV is untouched either way.
Why can't I pick 32 or 64 kbps like other converters offer?
At those rates the encoder silently changes your file's sample rate instead of only lowering quality — you would get 22,050 Hz or 16,000 Hz audio without being told. The options here all stay above the threshold where that behaviour starts, so the file you receive matches the settings you chose.
How long does a conversion take?
Encoding runs at roughly ten times real time on a typical laptop: a four-minute song takes around 25 seconds at 128 kbps. A progress bar shows where it is; keep the tab in the foreground while it runs.
Will the MP3 keep my tags and album art?
No — this converter writes a clean MP3 stream with no ID3 tag, so artist, title and artwork are dropped. If tags matter, add them afterwards in a tag editor or music library app.
Does it work on Mac?
Yes. There is nothing to install and nothing platform-specific: the same page runs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Mac users do not need iTunes, QuickTime or any command-line tool for a straightforward conversion.
Can I convert to mono to halve the size?
Tick 'Mix down to mono' and the channels are averaged before encoding — useful for voice memos and podcasts. For music it collapses the stereo image permanently, so keep the original file if you may want it back.