Compress and shrink large WAV files free — losslessly to FLAC or to a smaller 16-bit WAV, with no quality loss.
AI-powered audio review & delivery for voice production teams
Drop your WAV here or click to browse
WAV audio only (.wav)
Shrinks WAV file size only.
Need a much smaller MP3 instead? Use WAV to MP3. Also lowering the sample rate? Try the Sample Rate Converter. Converting between other formats? See the Audio Format Converter.
Upload a WAV, pick a mode, and download a smaller file
A WAV file stores uncompressed PCM audio — every sample written out in full, with no compression at all. At the common CD-quality setting (16-bit, 44.1 kHz, stereo) that works out to about 10 MB per minute; a 24-bit/48 kHz master is larger still. That is why a short recording can balloon past an email attachment limit, and why a folder of WAV takes are the first thing to fill a drive. Compressing the WAV packs the same audio into far less space.
The honest answer to compress a WAV is FLAC — the Free Lossless Audio Codec. FLAC is lossless compression: it re-encodes the audio into a smaller file that is bit-for-bit identical to the source, so there is genuinely no quality loss. A typical WAV shrinks by 30–60% as FLAC, and the file opens in virtually every modern editor, DAW, media player and phone. For archiving masters, sharing takes with a collaborator, or just reclaiming disk space while keeping perfect quality, FLAC is the right tool — and it is this compressor's default mode.
Choose FLAC when you want the smallest possible file with zero quality loss and your software can read FLAC (almost all of it can). Choose 16-bit WAV when the deliverable must be a .wav and your source was recorded at 24-bit or 32-bit. Sixteen bits is the standard delivery bit depth (CDs, most podcast and video specs); 24-bit headroom matters while you are recording and mixing, but rarely in the final delivered file. Re-encoding a 24-bit master to 16-bit WAV drops the file size by a third with no audible difference for delivery. If your source is already 16-bit, this mode will barely change the size — switch to FLAC instead.
FLAC and 16-bit WAV both keep your audio at full quality, so there is a floor to how small they go. To make a file dramatically smaller you have to accept lossy compression: convert it to MP3 with our WAV to MP3 converter, or pick a target bitrate with the Bitrate Converter. Those discard inaudible detail to hit a much smaller size — perfect for streaming and email, not for masters.
WAV Compressor changes only the encoding and bit depth. It does not change the sample rate — to lower 48 kHz to 44.1 kHz, use the Sample Rate Converter. It does not change the channels — to fold stereo down to mono, use the Stereo to Mono tool. Keeping those jobs separate means your audio keeps its resolution when you only meant to shrink the file.
Without an account you can compress one WAV up to 10 MB and 5 minutes. Because WAV is dense (~10 MB per minute at 16-bit/44.1 kHz stereo), anonymous users reach the 10 MB cap quickly. A free account raises the limits to 100 MB and 30 minutes per file.
Upload your WAV above and choose a mode. FLAC (the default) re-encodes it losslessly and is usually 30–60% smaller. 16-bit WAV keeps the file as a .wav and is smaller when your source was recorded at 24-bit or 32-bit. Click compress and download the result — no install or account needed.
Not with FLAC — it is lossless, so the compressed file is bit-for-bit identical to the original audio. The 16-bit WAV mode only changes anything if your source was 24-bit or 32-bit, in which case it re-encodes to 16-bit (the standard delivery bit depth) with no audible difference. Neither mode touches the sample rate or channels.
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is an open, lossless audio format that stores the exact same samples as your WAV in a smaller file. It is supported almost everywhere — every major DAW and editor, VLC and most media players, and modern phones and browsers. If a specific app only accepts WAV, use the 16-bit WAV mode instead.
Pick FLAC for the smallest file with zero quality loss whenever your software can read FLAC (almost all of it can). Pick 16-bit WAV when the deliverable must stay a .wav and your source is 24-bit or 32-bit. If your source is already 16-bit, the 16-bit mode will barely shrink it — use FLAC.
FLAC typically makes a WAV 30–60% smaller, depending on the audio — dense, complex music compresses less than sparse speech or files with quiet passages. The 16-bit WAV mode roughly cuts a 24-bit file by a third. To go much smaller than that you have to accept lossy MP3 — see our WAV to MP3 and Bitrate Converter tools.
Without an account you can compress one WAV up to 10 MB and 5 minutes. WAV is dense (~10 MB per minute at 16-bit/44.1 kHz stereo), so that cap arrives fast. A free account raises the limits to 100 MB and 30 minutes per file.
VoiceDeck adds AI-powered audio & video review and delivery for your whole team — so every file ships in spec, automatically.
