MP3 to WAV converter
FileReshape's MP3 to WAV converter decodes an MP3 into an uncompressed 16-bit WAV file in your browser, using FFmpeg. The MP3 is not uploaded. You can keep the sample rate or choose 44.1 or 48 kHz, and mono or stereo. The WAV is about ten times larger and does not sound better than the MP3.
Did a file not convert correctly? E-mail [email protected], ideally with a small sample file, and it will be fixed.
Key facts
- Input: MP3 (.mp3). Output: WAV (.wav).
- Your files are not uploaded: the work is done in your browser, on your own device.
- File size: up to 2 GB per file (the limit of the browser's WebAssembly memory).
- Needs a current browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari) on a computer, tablet or phone; nothing to install.
- Free to use, with no sign-up.
MP3 to WAV: why convert
Some programs and devices do not take MP3: older samplers and DJ software, broadcast playout systems, telephone systems that play hold music or voicemail greetings, CD burning software, and audio editors that work faster on uncompressed sound. They want a WAV file. This converter decodes the MP3 in your browser with FFmpeg and writes standard 16-bit PCM WAV, which every program opens. You can keep the original sample rate or switch to 44.1 kHz (CD) or 48 kHz (video), and turn stereo into mono for systems that need it. The MP3's tags are not carried over, because most programs ignore tags in WAV files anyway, and the file you get is plain and predictable.
How to convert MP3 to WAV
- Drop the MP3 file in the box, or click to choose it.
- Choose the sample rate and channels, or leave them as in the original.
- Click Convert to WAV and save the WAV file.
What changes when you convert
No quality is gained
MP3 removed parts of the sound when it was made. Converting to WAV stores what is left without further loss, which is ideal for editing, but it cannot bring the removed detail back. A WAV made from an MP3 is not a lossless original.
File size
WAV is uncompressed: one minute of 44.1 kHz stereo is about 10 MB, ten times a typical MP3. A one-hour recording becomes about 600 MB, which is fine on a computer but may be too large for email.
Telephone and announcement systems
Phone systems often require mono, 8 kHz and a special encoding such as µ-law. Check the manual: this tool writes 16-bit PCM at 44.1 or 48 kHz or at the MP3's own rate, which most modern systems accept.
Very long files
A WAV file can be at most 4 GB, or about 6 hours and 40 minutes of CD-quality stereo. For longer recordings, choose mono or split the MP3 first.
About the formats
MP3
MP3 is the most widely supported audio format. It was developed at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and standardised in 1993, and it plays on every phone, computer, car stereo and website. MP3 makes music about a tenth of its CD size by leaving out sounds people hardly hear.
- 128 kbit/s is fine for speech and podcasts; 192–320 kbit/s is used for music.
- The last MP3 patents expired in 2017, so the format is free to use everywhere.
- Title, artist, album and cover art are stored in ID3 tags at the start of the file.
- MP3 is lossy: every new encode loses a little more, so convert from the original when you can.
WAV
WAV is the uncompressed audio format of Windows, introduced by Microsoft and IBM in 1991. It stores the sound exactly as it was recorded, which is why studios, audio editors, samplers and many radio and telephone systems ask for WAV files. The price is size: about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo.
- CD quality is 16-bit, 44,100 Hz, stereo: 1,411 kbit/s, about ten times an MP3 at 128 kbit/s.
- Video and broadcast work usually uses 48,000 Hz instead of 44,100 Hz.
- Converting an MP3 to WAV does not bring back what MP3 compression removed; it only makes the file easy to edit.
- A WAV file can be at most 4 GB, which is about 6.7 hours of CD-quality stereo.
Frequently asked questions
Is my MP3 uploaded?
No. FFmpeg runs in your browser and decodes the MP3 on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server.
Which sample rate should I choose?
Keep the original unless a program asks for something else. Music is usually 44.1 kHz, and video editors prefer 48 kHz. Changing the rate resamples the sound with high quality.
Mono or stereo?
Keep stereo for music. Choose mono for speech, announcements and systems that only take one channel; it halves the file size.
Can I convert WAV back to MP3?
Yes, with the MP3 converter on this site. It accepts WAV and most other audio formats.