WAV to AC3 Converter

What happens when you convert WAV to AC3

• The audio is decoded and written as Dolby Digital at 192 kbps.
• WAV is lossless and AC3 is not, so this is where size is saved: expect the AC3 to be roughly one seventh of the size.

How to convert WAV to AC3 online

1. Press "Choose WAV files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
2. Adjust the settings if you need to: the bitrate controls quality and size. The defaults suit most people.
3. Press "Convert to AC3". The first audio or video conversion downloads the converter engine, about 32 MB, which your browser then keeps for next time.
4. Save each AC3 with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.

Why convert WAV to AC3?

WAV files usually come from recording, editing, sound effects and CD audio. People convert them to AC3 because AC3 (Dolby Digital) is the audio format DVD authoring and many AV receivers expect.

In short, WAV is good at what it was made for, and AC3 is the more practical choice when the file has to play on another device or app. WAV plays in every browser and audio editor, while most browsers do not play AC3; Safari on Apple devices does.

How to convert WAV to AC3 on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

On Windows

Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your WAV files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each AC3 is saved to your Downloads folder. If you prefer a desktop program, VLC can also convert WAV to AC3: choose Media, then Convert / Save.

On a Mac

Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the WAV files from Finder onto the drop zone and the AC3 files land in Downloads.

On iPhone and iPad

Open the page in Safari and tap Choose WAV files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted AC3 appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.

On Android

Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose WAV files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The AC3 is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it. Keep the screen on while a long video converts, because Android may pause a tab in the background.

Best settings for WAV to AC3

AC3 is a lossy format, so the bitrate decides both the sound quality and the file size. Size grows in a straight line with bitrate: double the bitrate and the file doubles.

Because the WAV is lossless, any bitrate you choose starts from a perfect source. 192 kbps is a safe default; go to 256 or 320 kbps if the music has a lot of cymbals, applause or reverb.

WAV vs AC3: the differences

About WAV and AC3 files

What is a WAV file?

WAV normally stores raw, uncompressed samples: about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo. Editors prefer it because nothing is lost between saves, and it is why a song is ten times larger than as MP3.

What is an AC3 file?

AC3 carries surround sound for DVDs and broadcast TV, up to six channels. Converting it to a stereo format mixes those channels down.

WAV to AC3 not working? Common problems

• The conversion is slow. Audio and container changes take seconds, but re-encoding video runs on your own processor. Lower the resolution to 720p, close other tabs, and keep the device plugged in.
• The tab stops or reloads on a very large file. Browsers limit how much memory one tab can use, around 2 GB and less on phones. Split long recordings or convert them on a computer.
• Song titles are missing. Tags such as title and artist are copied when AC3 can store them, but cover art is not carried over.

Convert WAV to AC3 with ffmpeg

This converter runs ffmpeg inside your browser. If you would rather use the ffmpeg command line on your own computer, this command produces an equivalent AC3 with the same kind of settings:

ffmpeg -i input.wav -vn -c:a ac3 -b:a 192k output.ac3

Replace input.wav with the name of your file. For a whole folder of WAV files, run the command in a loop, or drop them all on the converter above, which processes them one after another.