How to Convert WAV to MP3 in Audacity GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Streaming > Music, Podcasts, & Audio 55 55 people found this article helpful

How to Convert WAV to MP3 in Audacity

Download the LAME MP3 encoder to convert to MP3

By Mark Harris Mark Harris Writer University of Wolverhampton Mark Harris is a former writer for Lifewire who wrote about the digital music scene and streaming music services in an easy to understand, no-nonsense manner. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 8, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Music, Podcasts, & Audio CDs, MP3s, & Other Media Music For Your Life Audio Streaming Podcasts Radio

What to Know

In Audacity, open the WAV file you want to convert to MP3, and go to File > Export > Export as MP3.If Audacity can't find the LAME encoder, go to Edit > Preferences > Libraries > Locate and select the LAME plugin. This article explains how to convert WAV files to MP3 using Audacity in Windows, macOS, and Linux. Before you download and use Audacity, be sure to review its privacy policy to ensure you’re comfortable with its terms.

Convert WAV to MP3 With Audacity

Audacity is one of the best ways to edit audio files, so it's only natural to want to convert files with the program too. However, when you need to export an audio file in a format like WAV to MP3, you quickly learn that, by default, you can't do it—unless you tell Audacity where to find the LAME MP3 encoder. When you use the LAME MP3 encoder in Audacity, you can reduce the space that the audio files are using on your hard drive because MP3 is a lossy format (i.e., not a bit-perfect conversion) that saves the audio to a compressed format. With Audacity installed and the proper LAME files ready to go, you can now convert from WAV to MP3. Go to File > Open in Audacity. Select the WAV file you want to convert to MP3, and click Open. Go to File > Export > Export as MP3. Find and select a folder where you want to save the MP3. You can also change the name of the file there if you want. Click Save. Optionally, before saving, you can edit the bit rate mode, quality, variable speed, and other settings for the MP3. These options are at the bottom of the Export Audio window. Edit the metadata tags if you want something else to be included there. You can edit the artist's name, track title, genre, and more. Click OK. Audacity converts the file to MP3 in the folder you chose above. You know the conversion is finished when the conversion window goes away and you're left with the original WAV file you opened in Audacity.

Audacity Can' t Find the LAME Encoder

If you get a lame_enc.dll error or a similar message about how Audacity can't convert to MP3, you need to tell the program where it can find the LAME encoder library. Click Browse. Locate the folder where you extracted the LAME binaries, and click Open. The file is called lame_enc.dll in Windows and libmp3lame.dylib in macOS. Click OK on the Locate LAME window. Audacity then continues with the conversion. Alternatively, you can go to Edit > Preferences > Libraries and click Locate to select the LAME plugin. In Windows, you can expect to find the file in C:\Program Files (x86)\Lame For Audacity; Mac users should look in /usr/local/lib/audacity/.

Don' t Have Audacity or LAME

Download Audacity Download the LAME file that corresponds with your operating system. If you're confused about which LAME package you should install, some quick instructions are as follows: Windows: Download the LAME encoder installer package. Double-click the EXE file and accept the default file destination path. macOS: Download the LAME library DMG package. Extract the contents of the DMG file and then open the PKG file to install libmp3lame.dylib to /usr/local/lib/audacity.
Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Fix Lame_enc.dll Errors (Audacity LAME MP3) The 7 Best Music Editors of 2022 ALP File (What It Is and How to Open One) How to Modify a Song's Playback Speed Using Audacity 6 Best Free Audio Converter Software Programs M4A File (What It Is and How to Open One) MP3 File (What It Is & How to Open One) FLAC File (What It Is & How to Open One) How to Convert FLAC to MP3 BSA File (What It Is & How to Open One) How to Record Audio on Windows 10 How to Convert Excel Documents to the PDF Format How to Remove Background Noise in Audacity AC3 File (What It Is & How to Open One) How to Convert iTunes Songs to MP3 in 5 Easy Steps How to Rip Music From CDs Using Windows Media Player 11 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies