How to convert WAV files to MP3: You have downloaded some backing tracks from the Internet, would you like to keep them on the PC for use in your video montages but their weight seems excessive? Well, I believe it! These are WAV format files. The files in WAV format, you must know, are not compressed. This means that they guarantee crystal clear sound but are far superior in size to other popular file formats, such as MP3s (which are compressed instead).
If in the name of saving – saving space – you are willing to give up some quality, you could convert them to MP3 and store them on your computer in this format. There are now several software that allow you to do it, both on Windows and on Mac OS X and Linux, in an easy and free way.
Do you want me to tell you at least one? No problem, I’m right here to help you out. Take a few minutes of free time and find out how to convert WAV files to MP3 thanks to the information I’m about to give you. I assure you that it will be really child’s play, then you will find all the steps illustrated below … you have no excuse to back off!
Fre: ac (Windows / Mac / Linux)
One of the best programs for converting audio files is Fre: ac , which is free, open source and supports all major audio file formats: WAV, MP3, M4A, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AAC and Bonk.
To download it to your PC, if you have a Windows computer, connect to its official website and click on the first item located under the green Download button (eg Self extracting installer: freac – 1.0.23.exe ). Download is complete, open the file freac – 1.0.xx.exe and complete the setup by clicking first on Yes and then on Next , Yes , Next for another four times in a row and Finish .
If you use a Mac, to download Fre: ac on your computer, you just have to click on the link located under the wording Mac OS X (e.g. freac-20141005-macosx.dmg ). Then you have to open the dmg package that you downloaded, copy the Fre: ac icon in the Applications folder of OS X and start the software by right clicking on its icon and selecting the Open item from the menu that appears.
Now, press the + button located at the top left of the main window of Fre: ac and select the WAV format files to convert to MP3 (or drag the songs directly to the program screen). Then click on the arrow positioned next to the green button with the “play” symbol (top right) and choose the Lame MP3 option from the menu that appears to start the song conversion.
If you want to manually adjust the quality of the output tracks, click on the wrench icon on the Fre: ac toolbar, select the item Lame MP3 Encoder from the drop-down menu located in the center of the window that opens and click Configure .
In the screen that appears you can choose which bitrate and which balance between quality and conversion speed to use through the Use drop-down menu . But I recommend: put your hand in these settings only if you know what you’re going to change!
You can also change the folder where the audio files converted by Fre: ac are saved: just click on the Browse button located at the bottom right and choose a custom path.
Media.io (online)
You can convert WAV files to MP3 even without installing programs on your computer. How? Using Media io : a completely free online service capable of converting all the main audio file formats without resorting to specific extensions or plugins. You can use it even if Flash Player and Java are not installed on your computer.
It is compatible with Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and Firefox. In short, with all the main Web browsing programs. To use it, connected to its home page, press the Select files to upload button and select the WAV tracks to convert. There are no particular upload limits to be respected.
Then press the MP3 button located at the bottom left, select one of the bitrates available at the bottom of the page (I recommend 320 kbps in order to keep the audio quality high) and click on Convert to start the conversion process.
Wait the time necessary for the files to be processed (the duration of the conversion depends on the weight of the songs and the speed of the Internet connection) and click on the Download item to download the final MP3s to your computer.