Help and support
Most problems have one of about six causes. Start with the list below, and if none of it fits, tell us what happened.
Try this first
- Reload the page. If a conversion was interrupted, a fresh load clears the state properly.
- Check the file plays elsewhere. If VLC or your usual player will not open it, the problem is the file rather than the converter.
- Try one file on its own. A single failing file in a batch is easier to identify this way, and its error message will tell you why.
- Use a normal browser window. Private mode and in-app browsers sometimes block file access.
- For very long recordings, pick mono. It halves the output size and is often the difference between finishing and running out of memory.
Common problems
The converter says my file could not be decoded. What now?
Usually the file is not what its name suggests. Try playing it in VLC: if VLC cannot open it either, the file is damaged or copy protected rather than mishandled here. Files bought from the iTunes Store before 2009 carry DRM and no converter can read them. A file renamed from .m4a to .mp3 will also fail, because renaming does not change the contents.
Nothing happens when I click the button on my phone.
Some mobile browsers block the file picker inside private or incognito windows. Try a normal window first. If you are using an in-app browser, the one inside Instagram, Facebook, or a messaging app, open the page in Safari or Chrome instead, since those embedded browsers often restrict file access.
The page froze partway through a long file.
Almost always memory. A ten hour recording becomes several gigabytes as a WAV, which is more than a browser tab can hold. Convert to mono, drop the sample rate, or split the recording first. On a phone, try the same file on a desktop before assuming it is broken.
My download has no file extension, or opens in the wrong program.
Some browsers strip the extension when a filename contains unusual characters. Rename the
file and add .wav or .mp3 yourself. Renaming the source file to
something simpler before converting usually prevents it.
Download all as ZIP does not appear.
It shows up only once at least two files have finished converting. With one file, use the individual Download button instead.
The converted file sounds identical to the original. Did it work?
Yes, that is correct. Converting MP3 to WAV changes the container, not the audio, so it should sound the same while taking far more space. Check the file size and extension to confirm.
Can I use the converter offline?
Once the page has loaded, yes. Disconnect from the internet and conversions still work, because everything needed is already in your browser. That is also a straightforward way to satisfy yourself that nothing is being uploaded.
Is there an API or a desktop version?
No. For scripting and automation, ffmpeg is free, faster, and already does this well. There are ready made commands on the MP3 to WAV guide and the WAV to MP3 guide.
Supported browsers
The converter needs the Web Audio API and Web Workers. Both have been standard for years, so in practice anything from roughly 2021 onward works:
| Browser | Works | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera | Yes | Best for large files on desktop |
| Firefox | Yes | No known differences |
| Safari, macOS and iOS | Yes | Tighter memory limits on iPhone and iPad |
| Samsung Internet | Yes | Same limits as Chrome on Android |
| In-app browsers | Sometimes | File pickers are often restricted. Open in a real browser |
| Internet Explorer | No | Missing the required APIs entirely |
If your browser cannot run the converter, the page says so rather than appearing to work and producing nothing.
Reporting something broken
Bug reports are useful and they get read. To make one worth acting on, include:
- Your browser and version, and the operating system.
- What you were converting, roughly: format, length, and file size.
- What settings you had chosen, if you changed any.
- The exact error message, if one appeared.
- Whether it happens with every file or just this one.
Please do not attach the audio file. We cannot accept it, and there is nothing we could do with it that you cannot do yourself with the details above.
Email hello@mp3towave.org. It is a small operation, so expect a reply in a few days rather than a few minutes.
Corrections to the guides
If something written here is wrong, please say so, ideally with a source. Audio advice is full of errors that get repeated until they sound official, and this site is not immune. Corrections are made and the page records when it was updated.
Things we cannot help with
Copy protected files. DRM protected purchases cannot be converted by any tool, and finding a way around that is not something we assist with.
Recovering damaged audio. If a file is truncated or corrupt, a converter cannot rebuild the missing part.
Restoring quality lost to MP3 compression. Nothing can. Here is why.
Other people's software. Questions about Audacity, ffmpeg, or your DAW are better answered by their own communities, though the guides here cover the common commands.