WAV File Size Calculator
Find out how much space a WAV file needs before you convert or record. Enter the length and settings; the result updates instantly.
Estimated WAV size
31.8 MB
Over 4 GB: a standard WAV can't hold this. Use RF64/Wave64, split the recording, or lower the settings.
The same length as MP3
How WAV file size is calculated
A standard WAV file stores uncompressed PCM audio, so its size is pure arithmetic:
size (bytes) = sample rate × (bit depth ÷ 8) × channels × seconds
Plus a small header of about 44 bytes. For example, one minute of CD-quality audio is 44,100 × 2 bytes × 2 channels × 60 seconds = 10,584,000 bytes ≈ 10.6 MB. The calculator uses decimal units (1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes), the same way macOS, phones and storage makers count; Windows shows slightly smaller numbers because it divides by 1,048,576.
WAV size per minute and per hour
| Settings | Bitrate | Per minute | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 kHz, 16-bit, mono (speech) | 256 kbps | 1.9 MB | 115 MB |
| 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, mono | 706 kbps | 5.3 MB | 318 MB |
| 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo (CD) | 1,411 kbps | 10.6 MB | 635 MB |
| 48 kHz, 16-bit, stereo | 1,536 kbps | 11.5 MB | 691 MB |
| 48 kHz, 24-bit, stereo | 2,304 kbps | 17.3 MB | 1.04 GB |
| 96 kHz, 24-bit, stereo | 4,608 kbps | 34.6 MB | 2.07 GB |
| 48 kHz, 32-bit float, stereo | 3,072 kbps | 23.0 MB | 1.38 GB |
What makes a WAV file bigger?
- Length: double the duration, double the size.
- Sample rate: 48 kHz is about 9% bigger than 44.1 kHz; 96 kHz is twice the size of 48 kHz.
- Bit depth: 24-bit is 50% bigger than 16-bit; 32-bit float is twice as big.
- Channels: stereo is twice the size of mono.
The sound itself makes no difference: a minute of silence is exactly as large as a minute of loud music. That's the key difference from MP3 and FLAC, whose sizes depend on bitrate or on how compressible the audio is.
How to make a WAV file smaller
If the WAV is too large, reduce the setting that matters least for your use. For speech, mono at 16 kHz cuts the size by over 80% compared with CD quality and is what many transcription tools prefer. For music, keep 44.1 kHz but use 16-bit instead of 24-bit. If you only need to share or listen, a compressed format such as MP3 or FLAC is the better choice. Read more in choosing WAV sample rate and bit depth.
Convert MP3 to WAV with these settings
Our free MP3 to WAV converter lets you pick the sample rate, bit depth and channels, and shows the final size of each file. Everything runs in your browser, so your audio is never uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How many MB is a 3-minute WAV file?
A 3-minute WAV at CD quality (44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo) is about 31.8 MB. At 48 kHz, 24-bit stereo it is about 51.8 MB, and as 16 kHz, 16-bit mono (typical for speech) it is about 5.8 MB.
How much space does one hour of WAV audio take?
One hour of 44.1 kHz, 16-bit stereo WAV takes about 635 MB. One hour of 48 kHz, 24-bit stereo takes about 1.04 GB.
Why is a WAV file so much bigger than an MP3?
WAV normally stores uncompressed PCM audio: every sample is saved in full. MP3 uses lossy compression that discards detail to reach a fixed bitrate such as 128 or 320 kbps, so a CD-quality WAV (1,411 kbps) is about 4 to 11 times larger.
Does the content of the audio change the WAV file size?
No. For uncompressed PCM WAV, size depends only on duration, sample rate, bit depth and number of channels. Silence takes exactly as much space as a loud song.
What is the maximum size of a WAV file?
A standard WAV file is limited to 4 GB because its size fields are 32-bit numbers. That is about 6.7 hours of 44.1 kHz, 16-bit stereo audio. Longer recordings use extensions such as RF64 or Wave64.