WAV to MP3
Nothing is uploaded. The conversion runs here, on this device.
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What this does
WAV stores every sample exactly as recorded, with no compression at all. At the usual CD settings (44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo) that is 1,411 kbps, or about 10 MB for every minute of audio. It is the format recorders and editors write, and the one that is too big to send.
WAV keeps every sample uncompressed, which is why a few minutes of it can run to tens of megabytes.
What the conversion costs you, in numbers
A three-minute WAV is about 30 MB. The same three minutes as a 192 kbps MP3 is about 4.3 MB, roughly a seventh of the size. That reduction is not free: MP3 is lossy, so it discards detail the encoder judges inaudible, and the discarded part does not come back. For distribution, listening and sending, 192 kbps is the point where most people stop hearing a difference. For an archive or a master, keep the WAV as well.
Nothing is uploaded
The conversion happens inside this page. Your file is read by the browser, converted here, and saved straight back to your downloads. It is never sent to a server, so there is no upload wait and no size cap beyond what your own device can hold.
Open your browser’s developer tools, switch to the network panel, and convert a file. You will see the converter itself download once, and no upload of your audio at all. That is the whole difference between this and a site that converts on a server, and what that difference actually means is worth a read.
The first conversion is slower
The converter is about 32 MB and downloads the first time you use it, which is the one moment this page is not instant. After that it is cached, and later conversions start immediately, even offline. So do later visits.
Questions
What bitrate should I use?
For music you intend to listen to, 192 kbps is the sensible default and 320 kbps is the ceiling MP3 offers. For speech, 128 kbps is already generous. There is a fuller answer in the bitrate guide, including what VBR changes.
Is there a size limit?
No. Nothing is uploaded, so there is no server rule about how large a file may be. The real limit is how much your browser can hold at once, which is why a very long WAV is easier on a laptop than on a phone.
Can I get the WAV back afterwards?
You can convert the MP3 back to WAV, and the file will again be uncompressed. But it will only contain what survived the MP3. Nothing the encoder discarded is recoverable. Keep the original WAV if you need it.