MP3 Compressor
Make an MP3 smaller by saving it at a lower bitrate. You see the new size before you start, and the file is compressed in your browser, never sent to a server.
Drop the MP3 you want smaller
Compresses MP3 to 64, 96, 128 or 192 kbps. Also works on M4A, WAV and other audio files. It stays on your device.
Choose a FileYour browser converts the file. Nothing is sent to a server.
- No signup, no watermark
- Converts on your device
- About 2 sec for a 47 sec clip
- Works offline once loaded
How to Compress an MP3 File
- 1
Choose Your MP3
Choose the MP3. Drop it on the page, tap Choose a File, or paste a direct link to the file.
- 2
Pick a Smaller Bitrate
Pick a lower bitrate. Each option shows about how big the new MP3 will be. 96 kbps is selected; choose 64 kbps for the smallest voice files, 128 kbps for music. Turn on Trim to cut it shorter as well.
- 3
Compress and Download
Press Convert to MP3. Compare the new size on the Download button with the original, play it in the preview, and download it.
How MP3 Compression Works
The size of an MP3 depends on two things: its length and its bitrate. Bitrate is how many kilobits each second of sound uses. Halve the bitrate and the file is about half the size.
This compressor decodes the MP3 and saves it again at the bitrate you pick. A 320 kbps song saved at 96 kbps becomes about 70% smaller. Cutting off the parts you do not need with Trim makes it smaller still.
| Bitrate | Size per minute | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 64 kbps | About 0.5 MB | Voice notes, lectures, audiobooks |
| 96 kbps | About 0.7 MB | Podcasts, interviews, phone listening |
| 128 kbps | About 1 MB | Music when size matters |
| 192 kbps | About 1.4 MB | Music with little audible loss |
| 320 kbps | About 2.4 MB | The largest MP3, the most detail |
Why Compress an MP3
Fit Under an Upload Limit
Email, school portals, job sites and forms often cap file size. Gmail stops attachments at 25 MB, which a long 320 kbps recording can pass.
Send It Faster
A smaller MP3 sends faster on WhatsApp or Telegram and uses less mobile data for you and the person you send it to.
Save Phone Storage
Lectures, audiobooks and voice recordings sound fine at 64 or 96 kbps, which takes a third to half the space of a 192 kbps copy.
When Compressing Will Not Help
An MP3 that is already at a low bitrate will not get smaller. Saving a 96 kbps MP3 at 96 kbps or higher gives a file the same size or bigger. Pick a lower bitrate than the original, or use Trim to keep only part of it.
Each time an MP3 is saved again it loses a little detail. Speech stays clear at 64 kbps, but for music 96 kbps is about as low as most people will want to go.
Make an MP3 Fit Under a Size Limit
Upload forms and attachments often stop at 16 MB or 25 MB. How long an MP3 can be under a limit depends only on its bitrate.
| Bitrate | Under 16 MB | Under 25 MB (Gmail attachments) |
|---|---|---|
| 64 kbps | About 33 minutes | About 52 minutes |
| 96 kbps | About 22 minutes | About 34 minutes |
| 128 kbps | About 16 minutes | About 26 minutes |
| 192 kbps | About 11 minutes | About 17 minutes |
Leave a little room below the limit, because some services count a megabyte as 1,048,576 bytes. If a recording is still too long, turn on Trim and keep only the part you need.
What Changes Inside the File
At 128 and 192 kbps the sound keeps its sample rate and is simply encoded with fewer bits. At 96 kbps it is first resampled to 32 kHz, and at 64 kbps to 24 kHz.
Resampling removes only the highest frequencies, above about 16 kHz at 96 kbps and 12 kHz at 64 kbps. Speech sits far below that, so voices stay clear, while the encoder spends its smaller budget on the sound you can hear instead of on hiss.
MP3 Compressor: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reduce the size of an MP3 file?
How much smaller will my MP3 get?
Is my MP3 file sent to a server?
Does compressing an MP3 lower the quality?
Why did my MP3 not get smaller?
Can I compress M4A, WAV or other audio files too?
How do I compress an MP3 for email?
How do I get an MP3 under 16 MB?
Can I compress an MP3 on my phone?
Is the MP3 compressor free?
Can I compress several MP3 files at once?
Ready to Compress Your MP3?
Choose a file at the top. It is free, private and done in your browser in a few seconds.
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