20 Best Free WAV to MP3 Converters [Windows/Mac/Online]

Сonvert your WAV files to MP3 with Movavi:


1. Download and install Movavi Video Converter.

2. Upload your WAV files to the program.

3. Select MP3 as the output format.

4. Convert the files.

Edited by Ben Jacklin
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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:

  • Has a very user-friendly interface

  • 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

A free app for converting to most popular formats

VSDC Free Audio Converter
Editor’s choice

A powerful solution to convert video and audio with built-in editing options

Movavi Video Converter

An easy-to-use online tool to convert audio, video, and images

Convertio

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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