MP3 to WAV: Does Converting Improve the Quality?

All you have is an MP3 of your beat, demo or recording, but your distributor, an app or an engineer wants a WAV. So you just convert it, right? You can, and it takes a few seconds. But there's one thing a lot of people don't know: your MP3 sounds exactly the same afterwards. Here's how to convert MP3 to WAV, when it makes sense and when you're better off doing something else.

Quick answer

  • You can always convert it, for free and without an account, for example with the NameOnTheBeat audio converter.
  • The quality doesn't get better. Whatever was thrown away when the MP3 was made doesn't come back. You get a bigger file that sounds like the MP3.
  • Only do it when something really asks for a WAV and you don't have the original. Still have the original WAV, or can you get it? Use that.

Why an MP3 doesn't improve as a WAV

A WAV is uncompressed audio: everything that was recorded is in there. An MP3 gets small because the encoder throws away information your ears are less likely to notice. That's called lossy: something gets lost.

When you convert that MP3 to WAV, the audio is simply saved again in a big, uncompressed file. The converter can't guess what was thrown away. It's a bit like saving a blurry photo as a bigger file: it gets heavier, not sharper.

Some quick math shows the size difference. A 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo WAV is 44,100 × 16 × 2 = about 1,411 kbps. So a 320 kbps MP3 is more than four times smaller. Per minute of music that's roughly 10.6 MB for the WAV versus 2.4 MB for the MP3. After converting, your file is that big too, but what's inside is still the MP3.

When does converting MP3 to WAV make sense?

There are plenty of times it's totally fine, as long as you know you're not gaining any quality:

  • An app, sampler or website only accepts WAV. Then converting is the fastest way to use the file at all.
  • You want to use an idea or reference in your project. Dropping a reference track or a quick sketch into your DAW is no problem. Most DAWs open MP3 directly anyway: Apple lists MP3 in the supported file formats for Logic Pro, for example.
  • You really don't have the original anymore. Then the MP3 is the best you've got, and a WAV made from it is how you get it in where only WAV is allowed.

How to convert MP3 to WAV (free, no upload)

With the free audio converter you do it in your browser. Your audio isn't uploaded, everything happens on your own device.

  1. Open the audio converter and drag your MP3 into the box. Files up to 150 MB work.
  2. Choose WAV as the format.
  3. Leave the sample rate at 44.1 kHz if your MP3 is 44.1 kHz too. That's the standard for music. If you're working on video, you'll often see 48 kHz.
  4. Click Convert. Your WAV downloads right away.

The free version makes 16-bit WAV files. For a file that came from an MP3, that's plenty: a higher bit depth adds nothing to audio that has already been compressed. You can convert M4A, FLAC, AIFF and OGG the same way.

Your distributor wants a WAV, but you only have an MP3

This is the situation most people are searching for. So what do distributors say themselves?

  • iMusician only accepts WAV, between 16-bit and 24-bit and between 44.1 and 96 kHz.
  • CD Baby prefers WAV or FLAC. It does accept MP3, but doesn't recommend it because MP3 is already a lower-quality, compressed format.
  • AWAL is the clearest: files created from a compressed format like MP3 have inferior sound quality and shouldn't be uploaded.

Spotify's own guide to audio file formats names FLAC as its preferred format and also accepts WAV, at 44.1 kHz or higher and in stereo. You don't deliver to Spotify yourself, though, that goes through your distributor.

Bottom line: a WAV made from an MP3 will often get through the upload just fine, but your release will sound like an MP3. So look for the original first:

  1. Your own track? Export it again from your DAW as a WAV. Had it mixed and mastered? Ask your engineer for the WAV master.
  2. A beat you bought? Check which license you have. An MP3 license gets you an MP3. If you want a WAV for your release, you need a license that includes a WAV.
  3. Really no original left? Then converting is your only option. Do check your distributor's rules first, because not all of them allow it.

Need a beat in WAV?

If you're going to release a track, start with a proper file. With most NameOnTheBeat beats you choose your own license: Basic MP3, Premium WAV, Trackout with stems or Unlimited. With the Premium WAV license you get the beat as a WAV, so there's nothing to convert afterwards.

Common mistakes

  • Thinking your beat sounds better after converting. If you hear a difference, it's almost always the volume, not the format.
  • Converting back and forth. MP3 to WAV and back to MP3 means the audio gets compressed again. Every round costs a bit of quality. For a new MP3, always go back to the original. Here's how to do that right: WAV to MP3: which quality to choose.
  • Changing the sample rate for no reason. Converting a 44.1 kHz MP3 to 96 kHz just gives you a bigger file. Keep it the same.
  • Converting other people's files and releasing them. A different format doesn't change the rights. Only use audio you're allowed to use.

FAQ

Is converting MP3 to WAV free?

Yes. With the audio converter you convert MP3 to WAV for free, in your browser and without an account.

Does a 320 kbps MP3 become a real WAV?

The file really is a WAV afterwards, but the sound is still the MP3's. A 320 kbps MP3 already sounds very good to a lot of listeners, so the result can be perfectly usable. It just doesn't get better.

Can I tell if a WAV came from an MP3?

Often, yes. MP3 encoders usually cut off the very top of the highs. In a spectrum analyzer you'll see a hard cutoff at the top, even after the file has been converted to WAV.

What's better for my release: WAV or FLAC?

Both are lossless and sound the same, as long as they come from your original master. Which one to use depends on your distributor. Read more in FLAC vs WAV: which format should you use?

Looking for more free help with your tracks, like a BPM and key finder or a master checker? Check out all our free music tools.

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