How to reduce audio file size
- Drop the audio file in.
- Choose how much smaller, or enter a size in MB. Tick Mono for speech.
- Press Compress audio, listen, and save the MP3.
How small can it go?
| Setting | Size per minute | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 128 kbps | about 0.96 MB | Music that still sounds good |
| 96 kbps | about 0.72 MB | Podcasts, mixed speech and music |
| 64 kbps mono | about 0.48 MB | Voice notes, lectures, interviews |
| WAV (for comparison) | about 10.6 MB | Uncompressed recordings |
Why mono helps for speech
A single voice recorded on a phone is effectively the same in both stereo channels. Saving it as mono halves the data with no loss you can hear, so a one-hour lecture at 64 kbps mono is about 29 MB.
Already compressed?
If your file is already a small MP3, compressing further gives diminishing returns and audible artefacts. The tool tells you when the result wouldn’t be much smaller. For long recordings, cutting out silence or unneeded parts saves the most.
Fitting email and chat limits
Choose “A size in MB” and enter the limit, and FitVideo picks the highest MP3 quality that fits. For email, aim a little under the limit (about 18 MB for a 25 MB limit), because attachments grow by about a third in transit. WhatsApp voice notes and audio files are much smaller at 64 kbps mono with no loss of clarity for speech.
Podcasts and lectures
Spoken-word podcasts are often published at 64–96 kbps mono. A one-hour recording drops from about 640 MB as WAV to about 29 MB at 64 kbps mono, small enough to share easily and still clear to listen to.
Questions
How do I make an MP3 smaller?
Drop it in and choose a lower bitrate such as 96 or 64 kbps, or enter a target size in MB.
How do I compress a WAV file?
Drop it in and save as MP3: it becomes about a tenth of the size at good quality.
Will compression lower the quality?
At 96–128 kbps most people can’t hear a difference on phones or laptops; 64 kbps mono suits speech.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Everything happens on your device.