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20 Best Free WAV to MP3 Converters [Windows/
What do you do when you have a WAV audio file but you need to convert it to an MP3 or other file format? Let’s take a look at some of the best WAV-to-MP3 converter options available today.
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Best software to convert WAV to MP3 on Windows & Mac
Movavi Video Converter is a professional-level video and audio converter for a Mac or PC. Along with supporting all of the most popular video and audio file formats, it also includes video-editing functionalities. While Movavi’s software is paid, it includes a free trial version that lets users determine if this is the right platform for their needs.
Pros:
Converts audio and video files to all popular formats
Includes basic video-editing tools and features
Cons:
No option to download audio from URL
VSDC Free Audio Converter is the free version of VSDC’s audio conversion software that supports multiple audio file formats. Its advanced presets allow users to export their files in several formats, including MP3, with the best audio quality possible. It also includes some audio-editing features that give users the ability to delete audio fragments from their files.
Pros:
Allows users to download audio files from the Internet
Performs high-quality audio conversions across formats
Converts files quickly and smoothly
Cons:
No video conversion capabilities
Unintuitive user interface
Limited capabilities with free version
MediaHuman is a free audio conversion app for a Windows or macOS computer. It boasts an intuitive interface that’s easy for beginners and pros, and it supports most popular audio file formats with lossless conversions and export capabilities to iTunes and Music.app.
Pros:
User-friendly interface for easy conversions
Batch audio file conversions
Audio extraction from video files
Cons:
Selecting a destination folder for exported files can be difficult
Requires third-party software for editing and other functions
Can’t download audio from a link
4. Fre:ac
Among the best free WAV-to-MP3 converter options, Fre:ac is an audio-specific freeware that supports a lot of popular audio codecs and formats. Users converting WAV files can choose between MP3, MP4, WMA, FLAC, AAC, OGG, and other formats for their export files.
Pros:
Capable of converting entire music libraries and retaining folder structures
Can pull individual information on individual songs from an online music database
Cons:
Does not work for video file formats
Only available for Windows
No option to extract audio from URL
5. ALL2MP3
ALL2MP3 is a free audio converter with versions available for a Mac and PC. If you don’t need video conversion capabilities or support for obscure file formats, this is a good option for the best free WAV converter. It supports MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AIFF, and other popular formats with lossless conversions, but some users have reported instances of downloading malware with this software.
Pros:
Easy, lossless conversions for most popular audio file formats
Simple audio extraction from video files
Fast conversion speeds
Cons:
No support for video file exports
Reports of malware from some users
Can’t download audio files from a link
6. Audacity
Audacity is a free audio-editing program, popular with amateur and professional DJs and music producers. Along with editing features, it also includes conversion capabilities, including .wav to MP3 conversions.
Pros:
Compatible with almost all codecs and audio file formats
Completely free with no watermark or limitations on file sizes or lengths
Cons:
Does not work with video file formats
Can be resource-heavy and may cause lag with some computers
Switch is an audio file converter for macOS devices. While it’s fast and easy to use with batch conversion capabilities, it is not compatible with Windows 10 or other Windows versions. And while it includes a free trial, the software is actually fairly pricey at $60.
Pros:
Batch conversion capabilities
Fast conversion rates
Automatic audio normalization
Cons:
Expensive compared with other audio file converters
Only available for macOS
No ability to download audio from URL
Freemake is a free program for transferring audio media files from one format to another. It supports more than 50 audio file formats, including MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, FLAC, and M4A, but it doesn’t include any other features or functions aside from how to convert between audio file formats.
Pros:
Supports 50+ file formats
Includes cloud storage
Allows some customization of bitrate and other settings when converting
Cons:
Only available for Windows 7/8/XP with no plans to develop for a Mac
May cause lag on some systems
Can’t download audio from URL
9. HandBrake
HandBrake is an open-source file format changer that allows users to encode WAV into MP3 and other formats. It supports a long list of popular video and audio file formats, and it’s available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Pros:
Versions for Mac, Windows, and Linux computers
Free and open-source
Support for almost all media file formats
Cons:
No way to merge files into a single video
Limited customer support
No option to download audio files from a link
Free Audio Converter is a tool to convert from WAV to MP3 (and other formats) on Windows. Developed by DVDVideoSoft, this program is compatible with Windows XP/7/8/10/11 and SP3. It’s free to download and boasts lossless audio conversions. However, it’s not available for Mac or Linux devices, and some users have reported that it doesn’t work well for large files.
Pros:
Flexible audio settings
Single and batch conversion options
Support for most audio file formats
Cons:
Not available for Mac or Linux computers
Limited customer support and resources
Can’t download audio from URL
Boxoft Audio Converter is a paid tool with a free trial version. The trial version has some limitations, but the full version includes several features, such as batch conversions, image file conversions, audio track settings, and basic image editing.
Pros:
Basic image- and audio-editing functionalities
Batch file transfers
Customization for output files
Cons:
Limited features for free version
Lacks audio extraction capabilities
No ability to download audio from URL
Hamster Free Audio Converter is a free tool to transform audio files into almost any modern file format. It supports individual and batch conversions, but it’s only available for Windows computers. PC users may enjoy its configuration assistant, which helps users choose the right presets for their export files.
Pros:
Helpful configuration assistant
Batch conversion capabilities
Cons:
Only available for a Windows PC
No way to edit bitrate on audio files
Can’t download extract audio from a link
13. FFmpeg
FFmpeg is a free, cross-platform program for turning video and audio files from one format to another. Some seasoned users may enjoy FFmpeg’s simple command line functionality. Newer users may have trouble, especially if they haven’t used command line prompts.
Pros:
Works for any OS
Quick file conversions
Cons:
Difficult learning curve for newer users
Here’s our top pick for the products of the page. If you have trouble choosing one program over the other from the list, try out these ones and see which suits you best.
Best free online WAV to MP3 converters
Online Audio Converter is a free online file conversion app. It supports more than 300 audio and video file formats, and it includes a tool to extract audio from video files.
Pros:
Batch and individual conversion capabilities
Customization for bitrate, frequency, and other settings
Support for 300+ file formats
Cons:
Intrusive advertisements while converting
15. Convertio
Convertio is another web-based app to turn WAV files to MP3s and other formats. Along with audio files, it also supports conversions for videos, images, and documents. Convertio is not completely free, though. Users may try it for free, but monthly subscriptions start at $9.99.
Pros:
Easy access to export file downloads
Support for multiple media file formats
Cons:
File conversion limits on the free version
Slow file processing speeds
No option to download audio from URL
Online-convert.com is a free web app to convert WAV files to MP3 or vice versa. Without downloading any software, users can upload their WAV file(s) to the converter and opt to change settings like bitrate, frequency, and audio channels. You can also trim a part of your file off of the beginning or end of an audio clip.
Pros:
Audio clip trimming
Audio normalization capability
Options to customize settings
Cons:
No way to cut sections of audio from the middle of clips
Limited functionality other than format conversion
17. CloudConvert
CloudConvert is a paid online file conversion tool with a free trial version. The free version allows users to convert up to 25 files per day with some limitations. After that, packages are priced based on time, starting at 500 minutes of conversions for $8.00.
Pros:
Support for 200+ file formats
Customization capabilities for bitrate, channels, volume, and sample rate
Customizable audio quality
Cons:
Unintuitive interface
No bulk conversions with the free trial
Limited features on free conversions
18. Zamzar
Zamzar is another paid web app with a free trial version. Users turning WAV files to MP3s for free will have limited conversions and downloads per day, and no access to batch conversions. If you opt for the free version, you may also be limited to smaller files, as the three payment tiers offer access to larger file size limits and larger batches of simultaneous conversions.
Pros:
Intuitive online file conversions
Support for multiple types of media file conversions
Cons:
Significant limitations on the free version
Slow conversion and download times
19. FreeConvert
Despite its name, FreeConvert is a paid file converter with a free trial version. It supports all major file formats, and the basic subscription allows up to 1,500 conversion minutes per month and files up to 1.5 gigabytes in size for $9.99 per month.
Pros:
Supports all major audio file types
Offers batch file uploads
Allows large file uploads on all paid subscriptions
Cons:
File size limits on the free version
Issues with periodic corrupted export files
20. FileZigZag
FileZigZag is a free online media conversion tool. It supports most formats for audio files, videos, archives, images, documents, and eBooks. Free conversions are limited to 10 files per day, and files may not exceed 50 megabytes in size.
Pros:
Free file conversions for multiple media types
Up to 10 file conversions per day
Cons:
File sizes limited to 50 MB
Uploaded files deleted after 24 hours
Can’t download audio from URL
Summary: How to choose the best WAV converter
With the information in this article, you hopefully have a better idea of which file converter to choose for your needs. If you’re still having trouble deciding, we recommend considering a couple of factors:
Features: Do you need to edit your project before you export it as an MP3? What about other file formats? Will you need to convert video files as well as audio files? Consider all the features and tools you’ll need. With a program like Movavi Video Converter, you may be able to avoid purchasing additional third-party software for other projects.
Price: While you may be on a budget, a free tool might not do everything you need. Consider purchasing a reasonably priced program that does everything instead of spending a lot of time trying to work with the limitations of multiple free tools.
Frequently asked questions
▶️ What's better, WAV or MP3?
In general, WAV files that have not been compressed will have higher audio quality than MP3 files. However, they do take up more storage space. If you need to save resources, or you need a file that will load quickly, compressing a WAV to MP3 may be the way to go.
▶️ What is the best free WAV converter for a Windows 10 PC?
The best free WAV converter for a Windows 10 PC will depend on your budget, how many files you need to convert, how frequently you’ll need to convert files, and the quality you want for your conversions. We recommend trying Movavi Video Converter for quick, easy, high-quality conversions.
▶️ What is the best WAV-to-MP3 converter for a Mac?
The best WAV-to-MP3 converter for a Mac is the one that works best with your budget while providing all of the features and tools that you need. A program like Movavi Video Converter is a good option to balance reasonable pricing with high-quality conversions and robust editing features.
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