Compressing WAV Files with MP3 Encoding

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<< Herong's Tutorial Notes on CD/DVD

This section describes a tutorial on how to compress WAV files with MP3 (MPEG Layer-3) encoding.

We know that WAV file format can not only store audio tracks uncompressed with PCM (Pulse-Code Modulation) encoding, but also compressed audio tracks with a codec (Coder and Decoder), like MP3 (MPEG Layer-3).

If you want to compress an uncompressed WAV file with a codec, you can use Windows Sound Recorder. Here is what I did to compress one of my WAV file ripped from an audio CD.

1. Start Sound Recorder.

2. Click menu File > Open to load the WAV file C:\temp\WAV\02-Track 2.wav.

3. Click menu File > Properties. The Properties dialog box shows up with the following information:

Length: 221:37 sec.
Data Size: 39050256 bytes
Audio Format: PCM 44.100 KHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

4. Click Convert Now button in the Format Conversion section. The Sound Selection dialog box shows up. Change settings to:

Format: MPEG Layer-3
Attributes: 256 kBit/s, 44,100

5. Click the OK button to start the compression process. The Converting progress dialog box shows up.

6. When compression is done, the Properties dialog box shows new properties:

Length: 221:37 sec.
Data Size: 7077460 bytes
Audio Format: MPEG Layer-3 256 kBit/s, 44,100 Hz, Stereo

7. Click the OK button to close the Properties dialog box.

8. Click File > Save As to save the compressed WAV file to C:\temp\WAV\02-Track 2-MP3.wav

Sections in This Chapter

Recording Sound with Sound Recorder

Playing Sound with Sound Recorder

Compressing WAV Files with MP3 Encoding

Validating MP3 Compression Output

WAV File Compression List