Audio Converter

About Audio Converter

An MP3 converter turns any audio file into the format every device can play. This free browser-based tool accepts WAV, OGG, M4A, AAC, FLAC, and Opus, converts to MP3 at 128, 192, 256, or 320 kbps, and handles several files in one batch. Everything runs on your device, so nothing is uploaded and no account is required.

Audio Converter changes audio files between the three formats that cover nearly every everyday use: MP3 for compatibility, WAV for uncompressed editing, and OGG for open format playback. Drop in one file or a whole batch, choose the output format and bitrate, and download the results. Input can be MP3, WAV, OGG, M4A, AAC, FLAC, Opus, or the audio inside a WebM file, so it also works as a way out of the formats that voice recorders and messaging apps produce. Files are converted one at a time and each one reports its own status, so a single unreadable file marks itself as failed instead of stopping the whole batch. All of it runs in your browser through a WebAssembly build of FFmpeg, meaning your audio is never uploaded and nothing is stored on a server. The first conversion downloads the encoder, roughly 32MB, which your browser then caches. For video files, Video Compressor reduces file size using the same engine, and for grabbing artwork rather than audio, YouTube Thumbnail Downloader pulls preview images from any YouTube video.

The split that matters most in audio formats is lossy against lossless. A lossless format such as WAV or FLAC stores enough information to reconstruct the original waveform exactly, which is why WAV files run around 10MB per minute of stereo CD quality audio. Lossy formats such as MP3, OGG Vorbis, AAC, and Opus use psychoacoustic models to discard sound that listeners are unlikely to perceive, typically hitting a tenth of the size for audio most people cannot distinguish in normal listening. The important consequence is that the discarded information is gone permanently. Converting MP3 to WAV inflates the file back to full size without recovering anything, and each further lossy conversion compounds the loss, an effect known as generation loss. The practical rule is to keep a lossless master and export lossy copies from it, rather than converting between lossy formats repeatedly. Bitrate is where quality and size are actually traded. At 128 kbps most listeners cannot reliably distinguish MP3 from the source on laptop speakers or earbuds, though the gap becomes audible on good headphones with dense music. At 256 to 320 kbps MP3 is effectively transparent for nearly everyone. OGG Vorbis reaches similar quality at a somewhat lower bitrate, because it is a newer design than MP3, and Opus does better still, which is why messaging apps and voice chat use it. Sample rate and bit depth apply to the uncompressed side. This tool writes WAV at 16 bit and 44.1 kHz, the CD standard, which is the format editing software and mastering workflows expect, and which every audio application on every platform can open without conversion.

How to use Audio Converter

  1. Drop in one or more audio files, or click to select them.
  2. Choose MP3, WAV, or OGG, and pick a bitrate for the lossy formats.
  3. Click Convert, then download each result or all of them at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between MP3, WAV and OGG?
MP3 is lossy and universally supported, which makes it the safe default for sharing and playback. WAV is uncompressed, so it is much larger but keeps the exact audio data, which is what you want when the file goes into an editor. OGG Vorbis is a lossy open format that generally sounds slightly better than MP3 at the same bitrate, and it is free of patent concerns, but a few older devices do not play it.
Which bitrate should I pick?
For speech, podcasts, and audiobooks, 128 kbps is plenty. For music, 192 kbps is the common middle ground and 256 or 320 kbps is close to transparent for most listeners on most equipment. Higher bitrates make bigger files without recovering anything that was already lost in the source.
Does converting improve quality?
No, and it cannot. Converting an MP3 to WAV produces a much larger file but does not restore any detail the original MP3 encoder discarded. Every lossy to lossy conversion also loses a little more, so when quality matters, always convert from the highest quality source you have rather than from an already converted copy.
Can I convert several files at once?
Yes. Select or drop multiple files and they are converted in sequence, each with its own status. Once more than one has finished, a Download all button appears. Conversion is sequential rather than parallel because a single converter instance can only run one job at a time.
Is my audio uploaded anywhere?
No. Conversion runs entirely on your device using a WebAssembly build of FFmpeg. Your files never leave the browser, there is no upload step, and nothing is retained. You can verify this in your browser network tab while converting.
Why does the first conversion download about 32MB?
That is the FFmpeg converter compiled to WebAssembly. It has to be present in your browser for conversion to happen locally instead of on a server. It is cached afterwards, so later conversions start immediately, including on the Video Compressor which uses the same engine.
What input formats are supported?
MP3, WAV, OGG, M4A, AAC, FLAC, Opus, and the audio track inside WebM files. If a file cannot be read, it is marked as failed in the list and the rest of the batch continues normally.

Related Tools

Also Available As