WAV file size calculator
Work out how much space uncompressed audio will take before you commit to it, and see what the same recording would cost as an MP3.
40.4 MB
10.1 MB per minute
| Same audio as | Size | Compared to WAV |
|---|
The formula
WAV has no compression, so size is pure arithmetic and does not depend on what the audio contains:
bytes per second = sample rate x (bit depth / 8) x channels
For the CD standard, 44,100 samples a second at two bytes each across two channels comes to 176,400 bytes per second. Over a minute that is 10,584,000 bytes, or 10.1 MB. Every WAV file also carries a 44 byte header, which rounds away to nothing.
This is why a minute of silence and a minute of a full orchestra produce identical file sizes. MP3 changes with the material because the encoder adapts. WAV never does.
Common combinations
| Format | Per minute | Per hour | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo | 10.1 MB | 606 MB | CD audio, most music |
| 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, mono | 5.0 MB | 303 MB | Voice recordings |
| 44.1 kHz, 24-bit, stereo | 15.1 MB | 908 MB | Mixing sessions |
| 48 kHz, 16-bit, stereo | 11.0 MB | 659 MB | Video audio |
| 48 kHz, 24-bit, stereo | 16.5 MB | 989 MB | Film and broadcast |
| 96 kHz, 24-bit, stereo | 33.0 MB | 1.98 GB | High rate recording |
| 44.1 kHz, 32-bit float, stereo | 20.2 MB | 1.21 GB | Working files with headroom |
Using this to plan storage
A few figures worth carrying around. An hour of CD format stereo is roughly 600 MB, so a 1 TB drive holds about 1,650 hours. A 64 GB card records around 106 hours of that same format, or about 65 hours at 48 kHz 24-bit.
If those numbers are uncomfortable, the honest fix is usually mono rather than a lower bit depth. Mono halves the size outright and costs nothing on a speech recording. Dropping to 8-bit saves the same amount but sounds obviously worse, which is why almost nobody uses it any more.
For finished audio that only needs to be listened to, converting to MP3 cuts the size by four to eleven times depending on bitrate. Keep the WAV if you might edit it again.
Common questions
How do you calculate WAV file size?
Multiply the sample rate by the bytes per sample by the number of channels to get bytes per second, then multiply by the length in seconds. For CD format that is 44,100 x 2 x 2 = 176,400 bytes per second, or about 10.1 MB a minute. Add 44 bytes for the header, which is too small to matter.
How big is one minute of WAV audio?
10.1 MB at 44.1 kHz 16-bit stereo, 15.1 MB at 24-bit, 11.0 MB at 48 kHz 16-bit, and 5.0 MB in mono. WAV size never depends on the content, so a minute of silence costs exactly as much as a minute of music.
How many minutes of WAV fit on a CD?
About 74 to 80 minutes, which is where the standard 700 MB figure comes from. An audio CD stores 44.1 kHz 16-bit stereo PCM directly, so 80 minutes works out to roughly 807 MB of audio data in a format that uses different error correction from a data disc.
Why is my WAV bigger than the calculator says?
Some programs add extra chunks for markers, loop points, broadcast metadata, or embedded artwork. Those usually add kilobytes rather than megabytes. A much larger difference normally means the bit depth or sample rate is not what you assumed, so check the file properties.
Does a longer MP3 always make a bigger WAV?
Length is the only thing that carries over. The MP3 bitrate has no effect on the WAV at all: a 128 kbps and a 320 kbps version of the same four minute song both become the same 40 MB WAV.