MP3 to WAV converts MP3 files to uncompressed WAV (16-bit PCM) for audio editors, CD burning, phone systems and any software that only accepts WAV. Everything happens in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.
How to convert MP3 to WAV
- Choose an MP3 file.
- WAV is already selected under Save as. There is no quality setting: WAV is lossless.
- Click Convert, listen to the preview and download the WAV.
What changes, and what doesn’t
The MP3 is decoded and every sample is stored as it is, without compression. The sample rate and channels stay the same as in the MP3, so a 44.1 kHz stereo MP3 becomes a 44.1 kHz stereo WAV.
| MP3 (192 kbit/s) | WAV (16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo) | |
|---|---|---|
| Size per minute | about 1.4 MB | about 10 MB |
| Size of a 4-minute song | about 6 MB | about 42 MB |
| Sound | Original | Identical to the MP3 |
| Further editing | Loses a little at every save | No loss |
When WAV is the right choice
- Editing: if you will cut, mix or process the audio and save it several times, work in WAV and only make an MP3 at the end. Each MP3 save would otherwise lose a little more.
- Audio CDs: CD burning programs write 44.1 kHz, 16-bit audio. Most MP3s are already 44.1 kHz, so the WAV matches; for other rates the burning program converts it.
- Phone systems and hardware: on-hold music, PA systems, samplers and some DJ gear only accept WAV. Some phone systems also require a specific rate such as 8 kHz mono; this converter keeps the original rate, so check the system’s requirements.
- Video editors: WAV imports cleanly into every editor and stays in sync on the timeline.
Common questions about quality
Converting does not improve the sound. A 128 kbit/s MP3 turned into WAV still sounds like a 128 kbit/s MP3, just in a bigger file. If you have the original recording or a CD, use that instead.
MP3 files also start with a few milliseconds of silence added by the encoder. You may see it at the start of the WAV in an editor; it is normal and can be trimmed with the Audio Cutter.