WAV and Uncompressed Audio File Size
Uncompressed audio (WAV, AIFF) has a fixed data rate set by three numbers: size in bytes = sample rate × bit depth × channels × seconds ÷ 8. CD quality is 44,100 × 16 × 2 = 1,411,200 bits per second.
| Format | Per minute | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| 16-bit / 44.1 kHz mono | 5.3 MB | 318 MB |
| 16-bit / 44.1 kHz stereo (CD) | 10.6 MB | 635 MB |
| 16-bit / 48 kHz stereo | 11.5 MB | 691 MB |
| 24-bit / 48 kHz stereo | 17.3 MB | 1.04 GB |
| 24-bit / 96 kHz stereo | 34.6 MB | 2.07 GB |
| 32-bit float / 96 kHz stereo | 46.1 MB | 2.76 GB |
FLAC usually cuts these sizes by about 40–60%. The converter on this page accepts files up to 100 MB, which is about 9.9 minutes of CD-quality WAV.
The Formula
MP3 file size can be calculated precisely for CBR (Constant Bit Rate) files:
File Size (MB) = Bitrate (kbps) × Duration (seconds) ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000
Breaking it down:
- Bitrate is in kilobits per second (e.g., 320 kbps)
- Divide by 8 to convert bits to bytes
- Divide by 1,000 to convert kilobytes to megabytes (1 kbps is 1,000 bits per second, so decimal units keep the math exact)
Example: a 4-minute song at 320 kbps = 320 × 240 / 8 / 1,000 = 9.6 MB. Windows counts in binary units and shows the same file as about 9.16 MB
File Size by Bitrate and Duration
| Bitrate | 3 min | 5 min | 30 min | 1 hour | 2 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 kbps | 1.44 MB | 2.4 MB | 14.4 MB | 28.8 MB | 57.6 MB |
| 96 kbps | 2.16 MB | 3.6 MB | 21.6 MB | 43.2 MB | 86.4 MB |
| 128 kbps | 2.88 MB | 4.8 MB | 28.8 MB | 57.6 MB | 115.2 MB |
| 192 kbps | 4.32 MB | 7.2 MB | 43.2 MB | 86.4 MB | 172.8 MB |
| 256 kbps | 5.76 MB | 9.6 MB | 57.6 MB | 115.2 MB | 230.4 MB |
| 320 kbps | 7.2 MB | 12 MB | 72 MB | 144 MB | 288 MB |
VBR File Sizes (Approximate)
VBR files vary in size because the bitrate changes per frame. These are typical averages:
| LAME Preset | Avg Bitrate | 4-min Song | 1-hour Podcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| V0 | ~245 kbps | ~7.4 MB | ~110 MB |
| V2 | ~190 kbps | ~5.7 MB | ~86 MB |
| V4 | ~165 kbps | ~5.0 MB | ~74 MB |
| V6 | ~115 kbps | ~3.5 MB | ~52 MB |
Note: VBR sizes depend on audio complexity. A quiet speech recording at V2 may average 150 kbps, while a dense orchestral recording at V2 may average 220 kbps. The values above are typical for popular music.
How Many Songs Fit on Your Device?
Assuming an average song length of 4 minutes and decimal gigabytes (1 GB = 1,000 MB), as storage makers count:
| Storage | 128 kbps | 192 kbps | 256 kbps | 320 kbps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | ~260 | ~173 | ~130 | ~104 |
| 8 GB | ~2,080 | ~1,390 | ~1,040 | ~830 |
| 16 GB | ~4,170 | ~2,780 | ~2,080 | ~1,670 |
| 64 GB | ~16,700 | ~11,100 | ~8,300 | ~6,700 |
| 256 GB | ~66,700 | ~44,400 | ~33,300 | ~26,700 |
Podcast Storage Planning
Podcasts are typically mono at lower bitrates. Storage needs accumulate fast across episodes:
| Setting | 1 Episode (1h) | 50 Episodes | 200 Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64 kbps mono | 28.8 MB | 1.44 GB | 5.76 GB |
| 96 kbps mono | 43.2 MB | 2.16 GB | 8.64 GB |
| 128 kbps stereo | 57.6 MB | 2.88 GB | 11.52 GB |
| 192 kbps stereo | 86.4 MB | 4.32 GB | 17.28 GB |
Common setting: 96 kbps mono is a popular choice for talk shows. At this setting, a weekly 1-hour show generates about 2.2 GB per year (50 episodes). See our podcast settings guide for full specifications.