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Audio File Size Calculator
Calculate audio file sizes for WAV, MP3, FLAC, AAC and more. Estimate storage needs based on duration, bitrate, sample rate, and channels.
kbps
For multi-track projects
File Size⧉
8.01 MB
MP3 format, 210.00s duration
Total (all tracks)⧉
8.01 MB
1 track(s)
Size per Minute⧉
2.29 MB
Average data rate
Size per Hour⧉
137.33 MB
Useful for podcasts and long recordings
WAV Equivalent⧉
35.33 MB
Uncompressed reference size
Compression Ratio⧉
22.7%
27.32 MB saved vs WAV
Format Comparison
| Format | File Size | % of WAV | Relative Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAV 16-bit | 35.33 MB | 100.0% | |
| WAV 24-bit | 52.99 MB | 150.0% | |
| FLAC | 21.20 MB | 60.0% | |
| MP3 320kbps | 8.01 MB | 22.7% | |
| MP3 192kbps | 4.81 MB | 13.6% | |
| MP3 128kbps | 3.20 MB | 9.1% | |
| AAC 256kbps | 6.41 MB | 18.1% | |
| AAC 128kbps | 3.20 MB | 9.1% | |
| Opus 128kbps | 3.20 MB | 9.1% | |
| Opus 64kbps | 1.60 MB | 4.5% |
Planning notes, formulas, and examples
About the Audio File Size Calculator
Whether you're recording a podcast, producing music, or managing an audio library, knowing the file size of your audio is essential for storage planning and distribution. Audio file sizes depend on several factors: duration, format, bitrate, sample rate, bit depth, and channel count. Our Audio File Size Calculator helps you estimate the exact storage requirements for any audio configuration.
Uncompressed formats like WAV and AIFF follow a simple formula based on sample rate, bit depth, and channels. A stereo CD-quality WAV file (44.1kHz, 16-bit) uses about 10 MB per minute. Compressed formats like MP3, AAC, and OGG Vorbis depend on bitrate — a 320kbps MP3 is roughly 2.4 MB per minute. Lossless compression formats like FLAC typically achieve 50-70% of the original WAV size while preserving perfect quality.
This calculator supports all common audio formats and lets you compare file sizes across formats simultaneously. Enter your audio duration and parameters, and see how different formats and quality settings affect your storage needs. Perfect for podcasters estimating hosting costs, musicians planning album storage, and developers sizing audio assets for apps.
When This Page Helps
Accurately estimate audio file sizes before recording or converting so you can plan storage, bandwidth, and hosting costs. Comparing formats side by side makes it easier to choose the right quality-to-size trade-off for podcasts, music releases, and app assets.
How to Use the Inputs
- Enter the audio duration in hours, minutes, and seconds.
- Select the audio format (WAV, MP3, FLAC, AAC, OGG, etc.).
- Choose the sample rate (44.1kHz for CD, 48kHz for video, 96kHz for hi-res).
- Set the bit depth (16-bit standard, 24-bit professional, 32-bit float).
- Select mono or stereo (or custom channel count).
- For compressed formats, choose the bitrate (128-320 kbps typical).
- Compare file sizes across all formats in the comparison table.
Formula used
Uncompressed Size (bytes) = sample_rate × bit_depth/8 × channels × duration_seconds
Compressed Size (bytes) = bitrate_bps × duration_seconds / 8
FLAC Size ≈ WAV Size × compression_ratio (typically 0.5-0.7)Example Calculation
Result: 8.4 MB (MP3) / 37.0 MB (WAV)
A 3 minute 30 second stereo track at 320kbps MP3 is about 8.4 MB. The same track as uncompressed WAV (44.1kHz/16-bit stereo) would be 37.0 MB — over 4× larger.
Tips & Best Practices
- Podcast hosts often have upload limits — check if your episode fits before uploading.
- FLAC archives are about 60% the size of WAV with zero quality loss.
- For streaming, 128kbps AAC sounds equivalent to 192kbps MP3 due to better encoding.
- Mono halves file size vs stereo — use mono for speech and podcasting.
- Higher sample rates above 48kHz rarely improve perceptible quality but significantly increase file size.
- VBR (variable bitrate) encoding can save 10-30% over CBR at equivalent quality.
Audio Format Guide
Understanding audio formats is essential for choosing the right balance of quality and file size. Uncompressed formats (WAV, AIFF) store raw audio data and offer perfect quality but large file sizes. Lossless compressed formats (FLAC, ALAC) reduce size by 30-50% without any quality loss. Lossy compressed formats (MP3, AAC, OGG Vorbis) achieve 80-95% size reduction by discarding audio information that's theoretically imperceptible to human hearing.
WAV remains the standard for professional audio production because every editing operation introduces no additional loss. FLAC is the gold standard for music archival and audiophile distribution. MP3 is the universal compatibility champion, playable on virtually every device. AAC (used by Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify) offers better quality than MP3 at the same bitrate.
Bitrate vs Quality Trade-offs
The relationship between bitrate and perceived quality is not linear. Going from 128kbps to 192kbps MP3 produces a noticeable improvement for most listeners. The jump from 192kbps to 256kbps is subtle, and 256kbps to 320kbps is nearly imperceptible in blind testing. This follows the law of diminishing returns: each bitrate increase yields less perceptible quality improvement.
For speech content like podcasts and audiobooks, 64-96kbps mono MP3 is typically sufficient because speech has a narrower frequency range and less dynamic complexity than music. For music, 192kbps is the minimum for casual listening, and 256-320kbps is recommended for quality-conscious listeners. Professional mastering and production should always use uncompressed or lossless formats.
Storage Planning for Audio Projects
When planning storage for audio projects, consider both working files and final deliverables. A typical music production session might include 20-40 tracks of 24-bit/48kHz audio, each consuming about 8.6 MB per minute. A 5-minute song with 30 tracks needs roughly 1.3 GB of raw audio, plus additional space for project files, bounces, and backups. Plan for 3-5× the raw audio size for a complete production project. For podcast production, a 1-hour episode typically requires 200-400 MB of working files, compressing to 30-60 MB for distribution.
Sources & Methodology
Last updated:
Frequently Asked Questions
MP3 at 128kbps mono is the podcast standard. It offers the best compatibility across all players and keeps file sizes small — about 1 MB per minute. For interview podcasts, 64kbps mono is often sufficient.
One hour of uncompressed CD-quality audio (44.1kHz, 16-bit, stereo WAV) requires about 635 MB. As a 320kbps MP3, the same audio is about 144 MB. As FLAC, roughly 350-400 MB.
For transparent quality that most listeners can't distinguish from lossless, use 256-320kbps MP3 or 256kbps AAC. For archival or production, use FLAC or WAV. For streaming, 128-192kbps AAC is the standard.
For bitrate-based formats like MP3 and AAC, the bitrate determines file size directly — sample rate doesn't change the output size. For WAV and FLAC, higher sample rates directly increase file size.
FLAC is lossless compression — it reduces file size to 50-70% of WAV while preserving bit-for-bit identical audio. Decompression is fast and it's supported by most modern players. FLAC is ideal for archival.
24-bit audio has 256× more dynamic range resolution (144 dB vs 96 dB). Professional recordings use 24-bit, but for distribution, 16-bit is sufficient. 24-bit files are 50% larger than 16-bit at the same sample rate.
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