Audio File Size & Bitrate Calculator
Calculate audio file sizes and required bitrates for different quality settings
About this calculator
The Audio File Size & Bitrate Calculator helps you determine the storage space required for audio files and calculate optimal bitrates for different quality settings. This tool is essential for musicians, podcasters, and audio professionals who need to balance file quality with storage constraints. Whether you're preparing audio for streaming, archiving recordings, or optimizing bandwidth usage, this calculator provides accurate estimates for various audio formats including MP3, WAV, FLAC, and AAC across different sample rates and bit depths.
How to use
Enter your audio duration, select the desired format (MP3, WAV, FLAC, etc.), choose quality settings like bitrate or sample rate, and specify bit depth if applicable. The calculator will instantly display the estimated file size. You can also work backwards by entering a target file size to determine the maximum bitrate possible for your audio duration.
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate should I use for streaming music?
For streaming, 128-320 kbps MP3 or 256 kbps AAC provides good quality. Higher bitrates offer better sound but require more bandwidth and storage space.
How much storage space does a 3-minute song need?
A 3-minute song typically requires 3-7 MB for MP3 (128-320 kbps), 30 MB for CD-quality WAV, or 15-20 MB for FLAC compression.
What's the difference between lossy and lossless audio file sizes?
Lossless formats like FLAC preserve original quality but create larger files (20-50 MB per song). Lossy formats like MP3 compress significantly (3-10 MB) with minimal quality loss.