Use Audacity to convert a WAV file to MP3 for free: open the audio, choose File → Export Audio, select MP3, then set the destination and export options. MP3 takes less space, but it is lossy, so keep the WAV if you need an original-quality editing or archive copy.
Convert a WAV file to MP3 in Audacity
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Open Audacity and use File → Open to load the WAV, or import the audio into a project.
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Choose File → Export Audio. Audacity’s support documentation uses the same export path, sometimes written as File > Export Audio. Select MP3 as the output format.
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Choose a filename and destination folder. In the export dialog, set the channel count, sample rate, and bitrate if needed.
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Export the file, then check that the resulting MP3 plays as expected and that you saved it where intended.
Audacity’s official export instructions cover the Export Audio dialog and its audio export workflow.
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Choose MP3 settings for the destination
Bitrate
If a service, device, or recipient specifies a bitrate or file-size limit, use that requirement. When no guidance is given, Audacity’s manual recommends 128 kbps for speech and 256 kbps for music. These are general export recommendations, not universal quality guarantees. Higher bitrates generally make larger files, and MP3 remains lossy at any bitrate.
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Keep stereo when meaningful left/right differences are part of the recording. For a mono recording, export as mono: converting it to stereo duplicates the channel and, according to Audacity, doubles the file size without adding spatial information.
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Sample rate
The export dialog lets you choose a sample rate. Follow the requirements of the destination or playback device; changing the rate does not restore information absent from the source or inherently improve the recording.
Audacity’s export guidance describes these controls and its suggested defaults.
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What changes when you convert WAV to MP3?
WAV PCM audio is uncompressed and lossless, while MP3 uses lossy compression by removing some audio information to reduce file size. That information cannot be recovered by converting the MP3 back to WAV. If you may edit the recording again or need a preservation master, keep the original WAV. If you want a smaller lossless copy, Audacity identifies FLAC and WavPack as alternatives.
Audacity’s format table gives approximate reference sizes under its stated default settings: 16-bit WAV is about 5 MB per minute in mono and 10 MB per minute in stereo; MP3 is about 1 MB per minute. Actual MP3 size depends on bitrate, duration, channel count, and whether variable-bitrate encoding is used. These figures are not guaranteed file sizes.
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The same format information notes a general 4 GB size limit for WAV/AIFF PCM files. Some player applications interpret the size header differently, creating a practical limit around 2 GB; very large recordings may therefore need special handling.
If MP3 export is unavailable on Linux
Audacity’s Windows and macOS versions include the LAME MP3 encoding library. Linux users may need to install the free LAME encoder; if MP3 is missing from the export choices or export fails, check that Audacity can find LAME. See Audacity’s encoder installation guidance.
When to keep WAV instead
Use MP3 when a smaller file or broad compatibility is the priority and lossy compression is acceptable. Keep the WAV as the master when preserving all source information matters, or make a lossless FLAC or WavPack copy instead. Choose the export format and settings around the recipient’s compatibility and size requirements rather than assuming one bitrate suits every use.
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