Rescreen / Free tools / MP3 to WAV
MP3 to WAV converter
Drop an MP3 here and it becomes a WAV in your browser: the same sound, in a much bigger file.
Convert an MP3 file to WAV
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Drop an MP3 file here
or choose one from your device
Up to 2.0 GB. Stays on your device.
- File
- Contains
- Length
- Will become
Starting…
How to convert MP3 to WAV
Three steps, all on this page.
Choose your MP3
Choose or drop an MP3 file. The page reads what is inside and checks that this browser can convert it before anything starts.
Convert to WAV
Pick the options you want, then press Convert to WAV. The sound is decoded into plain, uncompressed samples, which takes seconds even for a long file.
Check and download
The new file is opened again and checked against the original before it is offered. Listen in the preview, then download it.
What changes from MP3 to WAV
- WAV (the Waveform Audio File Format) was developed by Microsoft and IBM and first released in 1991. It can name other codecs, but nearly all WAV files hold linear PCM. Source
- MDN describes WAV as uncompressed PCM, “delivering the highest fidelity at the cost of larger file sizes”, and MP3 as lossy compression that balances size against quality. Source
- MP3 (MPEG-1 Layer III) runs at 32, 44.1 or 48 kHz and up to 320 kbps, and decodes to 16-bit samples. Source
- Apple’s guide to converting music files says plainly that converting a song from a compressed to an uncompressed format does not improve its quality. Source
- iTunes offers a WAV Encoder for songs played on a computer without MP3 software, and warns that WAV files take up much more disk space. Source
- Audacity’s default WAV export is signed 16-bit PCM at 44,100 Hz, which its manual calls CD quality, and a WAV file cannot be larger than 4 GB. Source
- Phone systems often ask for WAV in one exact shape. 3CX, for example, wants its prompts as PCM WAV, mono, 8 kHz and 16-bit. Source
MP3 file
MP3
- Picturenone
- SoundMP3 (MPEG-1 Layer III)
WAV file
WAV
- Picturenone
- Sound16-bit PCM, uncompressed
Who converts MP3 to WAV
People handing audio to something that asks for WAV: a video editor or DAW that imports WAV more reliably than MP3, a phone system or IVR that plays its greetings from WAV files, a sampler, a game engine, a radio playout system, or an upload form that lists WAV and nothing else. Most of them already have the MP3 and just need the same sound in the format the other side accepts.
A WAV made from an MP3 is bigger, not better
An MP3 is small because the encoder threw away sound it judged you would not miss, and that part is gone for good. Converting to WAV decodes what is left into plain samples, the same samples your speakers get when you play the MP3. So the WAV sounds exactly like the MP3: no better, no worse.
What changes is the size. A WAV stores every sample with no compression at all, so CD settings (44,100 samples a second, 16 bits, two channels) take 1,411 kbps, about 10 MB a minute. Against a 128 kbps MP3 that is eleven times bigger; against 192 kbps about seven times; against 320 kbps about four and a half.
When something really does need WAV
Converting is worth it when the other side asks for WAV. The usual cases:
- Editors and DAWs. Most open MP3 too, but WAV starts exactly where it should, has no encoder delay to trim and seeks instantly, so some editors and plug-ins prefer it. Converting once also means each edit and export starts from the same samples rather than another MP3 encode.
- Phone systems and IVR. Greeting and hold-music files are often required as 16-bit PCM WAV at 8,000 Hz, mono. Choose 8,000 Hz and Mono below. The exact format varies, so check your system’s spec before uploading.
- Samplers, game engines and playout systems that read raw PCM and leave decoding MP3 to someone else.
- Burning an audio CD with software that takes WAV only. CDs are 44,100 Hz, 16-bit stereo.
Which sample rate and channels to choose
Every WAV this page makes is 16-bit PCM, the format an MP3 decodes to and the one nearly every program reads. You choose two things.
- Sample rate: Keep the original (the default) writes the MP3’s own rate, usually 44,100 Hz. Nothing is resampled, so it is the closest copy.
- 44,100 Hz is the CD rate and what most music projects use. 48,000 Hz is the rate of video, so pick it for a video editor’s timeline or a 48 kHz DAW project, so the editor does not have to resample on import.
- 8,000 Hz is for phone systems. It keeps speech clear and cuts the file to a fraction of the size, but music will sound like it is coming down a phone line, because it is.
- Channels: Keep the original, or Mono to mix the two channels into one (half the size, and what phone systems expect), or Stereo to put a mono recording on both channels for a tool that insists on two.
How big the WAV will be
Real conversions on this page, so you can judge the space before you start. Uncompressed audio grows by the same amount every minute whatever is in it, so these scale straight up: an hour-long podcast at the original 44,100 Hz stereo is about 600 MB.
Very long files are the one limit. The page builds the WAV in your browser’s memory and makes files up to 2 GB, about three and a half hours at CD settings. For something longer, choose mono or a lower rate, and the page tells you before it starts if the result would not fit.
| WAV setting | 3:00 song | 1:00 voice clip |
|---|---|---|
| Original rate, 44,100 Hz | 30.3 MB in 0.4 s | 5.0 MB in 0.1 s |
| 48,000 Hz, stereo | 33.0 MB in 0.9 s | 11.0 MB in 0.3 s |
| 8,000 Hz, mono | 2.7 MB in 0.4 s | 938 KB in 0.1 s |
When not to convert
Do not convert in the hope of better sound. A WAV made from an MP3 has exactly the MP3’s quality in a much larger file, and turning it back into an MP3 later loses a little more. If you want a better copy, go back to the source: the CD, the original recording, or a lossless download.
If the app or site you are using already takes MP3, keep the MP3. Nearly every player, phone, browser, video editor and podcast host does, and the WAV would only use up space and upload time.
Other ways to convert MP3 to WAV
Audacity Windows, Mac or Linux
- Open the MP3 with File › Open (Audacity reads MP3 without anything extra).
- Choose File › Export Audio.
- Set the format to WAV, then choose the channels, the sample rate and the encoding (Signed 16-bit PCM is the default).
- Choose Export.
Free and offline, and you can trim, fade or clean up the sound before saving. Best for a file you also want to edit.
Music app Mac
- Choose Music › Settings, click Files, then Import Settings.
- Set Import Using to WAV Encoder and click OK.
- Select the songs, then choose File › Convert › Create WAV Version.
- The WAVs appear in your library next to the MP3s; drag them to the desktop to use them elsewhere.
Handy for a playlist of songs already in your library. Set Import Using back to your usual encoder afterwards, since it also applies to CDs you import.
iTunes Windows
- Choose Edit › Preferences, click General, then Import Settings.
- Set Import Using to WAV Encoder; choose Custom under Setting to pick the sample rate and channels.
- Select the songs, then choose File › Convert › Create WAV Version.
The same idea as the Music app, with the sample rate and mono or stereo in the custom settings.
VLC Windows, Mac or Linux
- Choose Media › Convert / Save (on a Mac: File › Convert / Stream) and add the MP3.
- Pick the profile Audio – CD, which writes 16-bit, 44,100 Hz stereo WAV, and a destination ending in .wav.
- Choose Start.
Free and quick for one file. Check the profile with the spanner button if you need another rate or mono.
ffmpeg Any computer, from the command line
- Install ffmpeg (on a Mac with Homebrew:
brew install ffmpeg). - Run
ffmpeg -i input.mp3 -c:a pcm_s16le output.wavto keep the MP3’s rate and channels. - For a phone system, run
ffmpeg -i input.mp3 -ar 8000 -ac 1 -c:a pcm_s16le output.wavinstead.
The quickest way to convert a whole folder of MP3s at once.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting MP3 to WAV improve the quality?
No. The WAV holds exactly what the MP3 decodes to, so it sounds the same; it is just uncompressed, so the file is much bigger. Detail the MP3 encoder removed cannot be put back by any converter.
How do I convert MP3 to WAV for free?
Drop the MP3 on the converter at the top of this page and press Convert to WAV. It is free, with no sign-up or watermark, and runs in your browser. Audacity, VLC, the Music app on a Mac and iTunes on Windows can do it for free too.
Should I use 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz?
Match whatever the WAV is going into: 48 kHz for a video project, 44.1 kHz for music and CDs. If nothing asks for either, keep the original rate, which is usually 44.1 kHz for an MP3; raising it adds no detail.
How do I make a WAV for my phone system?
Choose 8,000 Hz and Mono, then convert. That gives 16-bit PCM WAV at 8 kHz mono, the format most phone and IVR systems ask for. Some want a different rate or µ-law encoding instead, so check your system’s spec first.
Why is the WAV so much bigger than the MP3?
Because nothing in it is compressed. CD-quality WAV is about 10 MB a minute, while a 192 kbps MP3 is about 1.4 MB. Choosing mono halves the WAV, and 8,000 Hz mono is about 1 MB a minute, less than a tenth of CD quality.
Is my file uploaded?
No. Your MP3 is read, converted and checked on your own computer, so there is no upload and no queue. In Chrome and Edge on a computer files of any size work, written straight to a file you choose; in other browsers, files up to 2.0 GB. We count anonymous page views and whether a conversion worked; when one fails, the event also carries the step, your browser’s error and the file’s codecs, size and length in broad bands, never the file or its name. If a conversion fails you can choose to send us the file, which is deleted within 30 days. See the privacy policy.
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