How to use the WAV to MP3 converter
- Add WAV files from your recorder, editor or sample folder.
- Pick 320 kbps for finished masters, 192 kbps for listening copies or 128 kbps for speech.
- Run the conversion and save the MP3 files.
How much space you get back
CD-quality stereo WAV flows at 1,411 kbps. A 192 kbps MP3 is around 14% of that, so 50 MB of WAV turns into about 7 MB. Even 320 kbps stays under a quarter of the original size.
Recording software often writes 24-bit or 32-bit float WAV. LAME works in floating point, so that extra depth is used while encoding rather than thrown away first.
Rates and channel counts
MP3 tops out at 48 kHz, so a 96 kHz studio file is resampled to a rate MP3 accepts. Files with more than two channels are mixed down to stereo.
Mono takes stay mono and come out half the size at the same bitrate. Narration or interviews recorded in stereo can be forced to mono under More settings.
Many takes at once
Point it at a folder of takes, stems or effects and the files are processed one by one. Each MP3 keeps the name of its WAV, and the ZIP button collects the set.
Keep the WAV originals for anything you will still edit; the MP3 is for listening and sharing.
Questions
Is quality lost?
Some, since MP3 is lossy. From 192 kbps upward, few listeners can pick the MP3 out on everyday headphones.
Are cue points kept?
No. Broadcast WAV timestamps and cue markers have no place in MP3 and are dropped.
What about 24-bit recordings?
They convert fine. LAME uses the extra precision while encoding, and the MP3 comes out at the bitrate you picked.
Should I use VBR or a fixed bitrate?
VBR gives smaller files for the same perceived quality. Pick a fixed bitrate when a platform or client asks for one, such as 320 kbps.