Compress WAV to M4A
Need smaller audio files? Converting WAV to M4A dramatically reduces file size. A 50MB file becomes 5MB. Perfect for email, sharing, and storage.
Drop your WAV file here or click to browse
WAV (.wav) · Max 20 MB
WAV files are uncompressed and huge. M4A uses lossy compression to shrink them by 90% or more. The size reduction is significant for sharing, uploading, and storage.
For email attachments, 128-192kbps works well. For music sharing, use 256-320kbps. AudioUtils lets you drop your file and convert instantly. No upload to a server, no waiting.
The size drop is the point — around 8× less data, which is what turns an unsendable file into an attachment. Encoding straight from an uncompressed master means one lossy generation, not two — noticeably better than re-encoding from an already-compressed file.
Most people meet WAV through recording sessions. It is a fine format there; the trouble is that WAV is uncompressed, so files are enormous — an hour of audio runs past 600 MB. M4A is the destination because it plays essentially everywhere — iPhone Voice Memos and every ordinary phone, browser, and player. WAV costs you around 10 MB for every minute; M4A asks for about 1.2. Over a long recording that gap is the whole reason to convert. Because WAV is uncompressed, encoding to M4A here is the clean, single-generation case — the encoder sees the whole original signal, so this M4A is as good as the format gets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much smaller will the file get?
The size drop is the point — around 8× less data, which is what turns an unsendable file into an attachment.
What bitrate keeps the quality acceptable?
192–256 kbps is transparent for most music, 128 kbps is fine for speech, and 64–96 kbps mono is plenty for pure voice — halving the size again with no real cost. Below that you start hearing it.
Will compressing damage the audio?
Encoding straight from an uncompressed master means one lossy generation, not two — noticeably better than re-encoding from an already-compressed file.
Should I compress a master or an archive copy?
Never the master. Compress a copy for sharing and listening, and keep the original — you can always re-encode from it, but you can never re-create what a lossy encoder discarded.
Is this compressor free?
Yes. Free users get 5 conversions per month. The output is limited to the first 10 seconds as a preview, with a 20MB input file size limit. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited, full-length conversions.
About WAV
Uncompressed audio format. Perfect quality with no data loss. Standard for music production and professional audio work.
About M4A
Apple's preferred audio format. Better quality than MP3 at same bitrate. Default for iTunes and Apple devices.