# Wav - MP3 converter **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489 "2003-12-17T06:45:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/1 "2003-12-17T06:45:56Z")
Is there a free program that can convert Wavs to MP3s (I checked [download.com](http://download.com), but they all had limiations of some kind without purchase, and the one that didn’t failed to work)? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/2 "2003-12-17T06:51:59Z")
There’s [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=229768) going on right now. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/3 "2003-12-17T07:47:50Z")
Thanks, but I don’t know if those can do what I want. I’m not looking for grabbing songs of CDs. I just need to convert a short 2 second file into an MP3. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/4 "2003-12-17T08:05:50Z")
If you’re using Windows XP (and probably other recent versions of windows), the built-in sound recorder app (Accessories -\> Entertainment -\> Sound Recorder) can open MP3 files and save them as MP3’s. In the Save dialog, there’s a “Format” button which lets you choose MP3 as the output format. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/5 "2003-12-17T08:07:51Z")
Er, that should be “can open **WAV** files and save them as MP3’s.” (I think it’s limited to short sound files, but you said the file is only a couple seconds, so it should work fine) ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/6 "2003-12-17T08:12:43Z")
look for DBpoweramp, I snagged this off [Downloads.com](http://Downloads.com) awhile ago converts from wave-mp3 and back with ease. once installed you just right click the file and its one of the options. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/7 "2003-12-17T08:14:47Z")
[http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=dbpoweramp&tg=dl-2001](http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=dbpoweramp&tg=dl-2001) there ya go. ---
**Author:** ![milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@milk\_milk\_lemonade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milk_milk_lemonade)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/8 "2003-12-17T09:00:42Z")
Goldwave is excellent, free demo from: [http://www.goldwave.com/](http://www.goldwave.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/9 "2003-12-17T12:23:54Z")
I second the usage of dBpowerAMP. Easy to use, does a good job of converting the files back and forth. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/10 "2003-12-17T12:56:12Z")
I am not sure why you would need or want to convert a 2 second file to .MP3 file format but just in case it is not clear let me clarify that MP3 is used to describe two different things: the .MP3 file format and the MP3 compression codec which the MP3 file format uses. .WAV files can be and commonly are compressed using the MP3 codec. So you can have a WAV file which as far as the information is concerned is compressed exactly the same as if it were an MP3 file. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wav-mp3-converter/219489/11 "2003-12-17T15:19:05Z")
[www.dbpoweramp.com](http://www.dbpoweramp.com) Totally free, easy to use, uses the best codecs, you can convert by simply right-clicking in windows explorer.