{"id":792,"date":"2026-06-25T15:13:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T19:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/blog\/?p=792"},"modified":"2026-06-18T20:40:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T00:40:36","slug":"how-to-reduce-wav-file-size","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/blog\/how-to-reduce-wav-file-size","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a WAV File Smaller: 5 Ways to Reduce WAV File Size"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A three-minute song saved as a CD-quality WAV is about <strong>31 MB<\/strong> \u2014 the same song as a 192 kbps MP3 is under <strong>4.5 MB<\/strong>. WAV files are huge because they store <strong>uncompressed PCM audio<\/strong>: every sample is written to disk at full resolution, with no compression of any kind. That\u2019s great for editing and archiving, but it makes WAV the worst format for email attachments, podcast hosts, or anything you need to upload. The good news: WAV\u2019s size is governed by a simple, predictable formula, so once you know which number to turn down \u2014 bit depth, sample rate, channel count, or the container itself \u2014 shrinking a WAV is straightforward. This guide covers five methods, from a small lossless trim to an aggressive lossy cut, and which xconvert tool does each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> A WAV file\u2019s size is <strong>sample rate \u00d7 bit depth \u00d7 channels \u00f7 8 = bytes per second<\/strong>. To make it smaller you can (1) drop bit depth from 24-bit to 16-bit (\u224833% smaller), (2) lower the sample rate (e.g. 48 kHz \u2192 44.1 kHz, \u22488% smaller), (3) convert stereo to mono (exactly 50% smaller), (4) convert to <strong>FLAC<\/strong> for a smaller <em>lossless<\/em> file, or (5) convert to <strong>MP3\/AAC<\/strong> for the smallest <em>lossy<\/em> file. For the last two, use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/compress-wav\">xconvert WAV Compressor<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/wav-converter\">WAV Converter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jump to a section<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#why-big\">Why WAV files are so big<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#formula\">The WAV file-size formula<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#bit-depth\">Method 1: Lower the bit depth (24-bit \u2192 16-bit)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#sample-rate\">Method 2: Lower the sample rate<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#mono\">Method 3: Convert stereo to mono<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#flac\">Method 4: Convert to FLAC (lossless, smaller)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#mp3\">Method 5: Convert to MP3 or AAC (smallest, lossy)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#which\">Which method should I use?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#faq\">FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-big\">Why WAV files are so big<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WAV is a container for <strong>uncompressed PCM<\/strong> (Pulse-Code Modulation) audio, defined in Microsoft and IBM\u2019s RIFF specification. Unlike MP3, AAC, or even FLAC, a PCM WAV stores the raw amplitude of every single sample with no compression \u2014 silence, a complex orchestral passage, and white noise all take exactly the same number of bytes per second. That predictability is why WAV is the standard for audio editing and mastering, but it\u2019s also why a few minutes of audio balloons into tens of megabytes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the <em>only<\/em> way to shrink a WAV without changing its container is to capture less data per second \u2014 fewer bits per sample, fewer samples per second, or fewer channels. For a dramatic reduction, you change the container to a compressed format. The formula below shows exactly how each lever moves the file size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"formula\">The WAV file-size formula<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For uncompressed PCM, file size is fully determined by four numbers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <code>\u00f7 8<\/code> converts bits to bytes. Worked through for standard CD quality (44,100 Hz, 16-bit, 2 channels \/ stereo):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So one second of CD-quality stereo WAV is <strong>176,400 bytes<\/strong>, one minute is <strong>10,584,000 bytes (\u224810.58 MB)<\/strong>, and a three-minute track is <strong>31,752,000 bytes (\u224831.75 MB)<\/strong>. This matches the well-known \u201c1411 kbps\u201d figure quoted for CD audio. (These are decimal MB, where 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes; in binary MiB the three-minute file is \u224830.28 MiB.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The formula is the whole game. Every method below works by reducing one of those three multipliers (bit depth, sample rate, channels) or by replacing the uncompressed container entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Lever<\/th><th>Change<\/th><th>Size effect<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Bit depth<\/td><td>24-bit \u2192 16-bit<\/td><td>\u224833% smaller<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bit depth<\/td><td>16-bit \u2192 8-bit<\/td><td>50% smaller (quality loss is audible)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sample rate<\/td><td>48 kHz \u2192 44.1 kHz<\/td><td>\u22488% smaller<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sample rate<\/td><td>44.1 kHz \u2192 22.05 kHz<\/td><td>50% smaller (treble lost)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Channels<\/td><td>Stereo \u2192 mono<\/td><td>exactly 50% smaller<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Container<\/td><td>WAV \u2192 FLAC<\/td><td>lossless; typically ~30\u201350% smaller<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Container<\/td><td>WAV \u2192 MP3\/AAC<\/td><td>lossy; commonly ~80\u201390% smaller<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bit-depth\">Method 1: Lower the bit depth (24-bit \u2192 16-bit)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bit depth is how many bits encode each sample. Studio recordings are often <strong>24-bit<\/strong> for editing headroom, but the final delivery standard for music is <strong>16-bit<\/strong> (CD quality). Dropping from 24-bit to 16-bit removes one-third of the data, because 16 \u00f7 24 = 0.667 \u2014 so the file shrinks by about <strong>33%<\/strong> with no audible difference for normal listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Worked example, three-minute stereo track at 44.1 kHz:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s a saving of nearly 16 MB. Going below 16-bit (to 8-bit) halves the file again but introduces audible quantization noise, so it\u2019s only appropriate for voice memos or retro\/8-bit effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To re-encode a WAV at a lower bit depth, upload it to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/wav-converter\">xconvert WAV Converter<\/a>, keep the output as WAV, and expand <strong>Show All Options<\/strong> to choose the lower depth. Your file is uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sample-rate\">Method 2: Lower the sample rate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sample rate is how many samples are captured per second, measured in Hz. Higher rates capture higher frequencies, but human hearing tops out around 20 kHz, and the <strong>44.1 kHz<\/strong> CD rate already captures everything audible. If your WAV is at 48 kHz (the video\/broadcast standard) or higher (96 kHz, 192 kHz are common in studios), you can drop the rate and shrink the file proportionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because size scales linearly with sample rate, the math is direct:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>48 kHz \u2192 44.1 kHz: 44,100 \u00f7 48,000 = 0.919, so <strong>\u22488.1% smaller<\/strong>.<\/li><li>96 kHz \u2192 48 kHz: <strong>exactly 50% smaller<\/strong>.<\/li><li>44.1 kHz \u2192 22.05 kHz: <strong>exactly 50% smaller<\/strong>, but you lose all frequency content above ~11 kHz, so this is for spoken-word\/voice only.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/compress-wav\">WAV Compressor<\/a>, open <strong>Advanced Options<\/strong> and set <strong>Audio Sample Rate<\/strong> to your target value (it defaults to <strong>ORIGINAL<\/strong>). For music, don\u2019t go below 44.1 kHz; for voice recordings, 22.05 kHz is usually fine and halves the file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/step-01-control-7.png\" alt=\"The xconvert WAV compressor with the Audio Sample Rate set down to 16000 Hz to shrink a voice recording\" class=\"wp-image-868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/step-01-control-7.png 2560w, https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/step-01-control-7-300x234.png 300w, https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/step-01-control-7-1024x800.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/step-01-control-7-768x600.png 768w, https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/step-01-control-7-1536x1200.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/step-01-control-7-2048x1600.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mono\">Method 3: Convert stereo to mono<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A stereo WAV stores two independent channels; mono stores one. Since channel count is a direct multiplier in the formula, <strong>collapsing stereo to mono cuts the file size exactly in half<\/strong> \u2014 no other lever gives such a clean 50% with so little effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the single best trick for <strong>voice content<\/strong> \u2014 podcasts, narration, interviews, voice memos, audiobooks \u2014 where the two channels usually carry near-identical audio anyway, so merging them costs nothing perceptible. For music with genuine left\/right separation, going mono collapses the stereo image and is not recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/compress-wav\">WAV Compressor<\/a>, open <strong>Advanced Options<\/strong> and set <strong>Audio Channel<\/strong> (defaults to <strong>ORIGINAL<\/strong>) to <strong>Mono<\/strong>. Combine it with a sample-rate drop to 22.05 kHz and a voice recording can shrink to roughly a quarter of its original size while staying perfectly intelligible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"flac\">Method 4: Convert to FLAC (lossless, smaller)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you need to preserve <strong>every bit<\/strong> of the original audio \u2014 for archiving a master, or sending a producer a file they can edit without quality loss \u2014 convert the WAV to <strong>FLAC<\/strong> (Free Lossless Audio Codec). Per the <a href=\"https:\/\/xiph.org\/flac\/\">official Xiph FLAC project<\/a>, \u201caudio is compressed in FLAC without any loss in quality,\u201d so the decoded audio is bit-for-bit identical to the source WAV. FLAC simply stores that identical audio more efficiently, the way a ZIP archives a file without changing its contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How much smaller depends entirely on the audio \u2014 quiet, repetitive, or simple material compresses more than dense, noisy material \u2014 but for typical music FLAC commonly lands around <strong>30\u201350% smaller<\/strong> than the equivalent WAV. There\u2019s no fixed ratio because FLAC adapts to the content, which is exactly why it\u2019s safe: you get a smaller file with zero quality cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/convert-wav-to-flac\">WAV to FLAC Converter<\/a> (or the general <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/wav-converter\">WAV Converter<\/a> with FLAC as the output). Upload the file, choose FLAC, and convert \u2014 the download is a smaller, fully lossless copy. FLAC is the right choice whenever \u201csmaller but identical\u201d matters more than \u201csmallest possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mp3\">Method 5: Convert to MP3 or AAC (smallest, lossy)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the <strong>smallest<\/strong> possible file \u2014 email attachments, web playback, podcast feeds, messaging apps \u2014 convert to a <strong>lossy<\/strong> format like MP3 or AAC. These codecs discard audio data the ear is least likely to notice (psychoacoustic masking), which is why they routinely shrink a WAV by <strong>80\u201390% or more<\/strong>. A three-minute CD-quality WAV of ~31 MB becomes roughly 4\u20137 MB as a 192\u2013320 kbps MP3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade-off is that lossy compression is permanent: you can\u2019t recover the original audio from an MP3. For final delivery and distribution that\u2019s fine; for archiving or further editing, prefer FLAC (Method 4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/convert-wav-to-mp3\">WAV to MP3 Converter<\/a> for MP3 output, or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/audio-compressor\">Audio Compressor<\/a> when you want a single tool that handles multiple output formats and lets you target a specific file size. Key controls:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Quality Preset \/ Bitrate<\/strong> \u2014 higher bitrate (e.g. 320 kbps) means better quality and a larger file; lower (128 kbps) means a smaller file. 192 kbps is a good middle ground for music; 128 kbps or lower is fine for voice.<\/li><li><strong>Constant Bitrate vs Variable Bitrate<\/strong> \u2014 variable (VBR) generally gives better quality per byte by spending more bits on complex passages.<\/li><li><strong>Specific file size<\/strong> \u2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/audio-compressor\">Audio Compressor<\/a> lets you set a target size directly, which is handy when a platform has a hard upload cap.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MP3 encoding on xconvert uses a high-quality MP3 encoder. As with every method here, files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"which\">Which method should I use?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Goal<\/th><th>Best method<\/th><th>xconvert tool<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Keep WAV, trim some size, no audible loss<\/td><td>Bit depth 24\u219216, sample rate to 44.1 kHz<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/compress-wav\">WAV Compressor<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Voice\/podcast recording, big saving<\/td><td>Stereo \u2192 mono + 22.05 kHz<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/compress-wav\">WAV Compressor<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Archive\/master, smaller but identical<\/td><td>Convert to FLAC<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/convert-wav-to-flac\">WAV to FLAC<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Smallest file for email\/web\/podcast<\/td><td>Convert to MP3 or AAC<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/convert-wav-to-mp3\">WAV to MP3<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/audio-compressor\">Audio Compressor<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hit an exact file-size cap<\/td><td>Target specific size, lossy<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/audio-compressor\">Audio Compressor<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The general rule: if the file must stay editable or pristine, use FLAC; if it just needs to play and be small, use MP3\/AAC; if it must remain a WAV, lower bit depth first, then sample rate, then channels \u2014 in that order of safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq-how\">How do I make a WAV file smaller?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two highest-impact methods are converting it to a compressed format or reducing its channels. Converting to <strong>MP3\/AAC<\/strong> typically shrinks a WAV by 80\u201390% (lossy); converting to <strong>FLAC<\/strong> shrinks it ~30\u201350% with zero quality loss (lossless). If you must keep it as a WAV, set the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/compress-wav\">WAV Compressor<\/a> to mono (halves the file), drop the sample rate, and lower the bit depth from 24-bit to 16-bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq-quality\">Does compressing a WAV reduce its quality?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It depends on the method. Converting to <strong>FLAC<\/strong> is lossless \u2014 the audio is bit-for-bit identical to the original WAV. Converting to <strong>MP3 or AAC<\/strong> is lossy and permanently discards some data, though at 192 kbps and above most listeners can\u2019t tell. Lowering bit depth from 24-bit to 16-bit is inaudible for normal playback; going below 16-bit, or dropping the sample rate below 44.1 kHz for music, <em>will<\/em> be audible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq-why-large\">Why is my WAV file so large?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because WAV stores <strong>uncompressed PCM<\/strong> audio \u2014 every sample is written at full resolution with no compression. Size is fixed by the formula sample rate \u00d7 bit depth \u00d7 channels \u00f7 8 per second, so a CD-quality stereo file is about 10.58 MB per minute regardless of what the audio contains. Compressed formats like MP3 and FLAC store the same audio in far fewer bytes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq-flac-size\">How much smaller is FLAC than WAV?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s no fixed ratio because FLAC compression adapts to the content, but for typical music a FLAC file is commonly around <strong>30\u201350% smaller<\/strong> than the equivalent WAV. Quiet or simple material compresses more; dense or noisy material compresses less. Crucially, FLAC is lossless, so you get the smaller file with no quality cost \u2014 use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/convert-wav-to-flac\">WAV to FLAC Converter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq-mono\">Will converting stereo to mono really halve the size?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes \u2014 channel count is a direct multiplier in the file-size formula, so going from 2 channels (stereo) to 1 (mono) cuts the size <strong>exactly in half<\/strong>. It\u2019s ideal for voice content (podcasts, narration, voice memos) where both channels are nearly identical. Avoid it for music with real left\/right separation, since it collapses the stereo image. Set <strong>Audio Channel<\/strong> to <strong>Mono<\/strong> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xconvert.com\/compress-wav\">WAV Compressor<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq-smallest-lossless\">What\u2019s the smallest I can make a WAV without losing quality?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fully lossless route is <strong>convert to FLAC<\/strong>, which keeps the audio bit-for-bit identical while removing ~30\u201350% of the file size. If you want to stay in the WAV container, dropping a 24-bit file to 16-bit (\u224833% smaller) is the only truly transparent reduction for normal listening; lowering sample rate or channels for music starts to affect what you hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq-safe\">Is it safe to upload my WAV files to convert them?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and then deleted automatically after a few hours. No account is required, no watermark is added, and files are never shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Last verified 2026-06-18.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colincrawley.com\/audio-file-size-calculator\/\">Colin Crawley \u2014 Audio File Size Calculator<\/a> \u2014 confirms the PCM file-size formula (sample rate \u00d7 bit depth \u00d7 channels \u00f7 8) and the 1,411.2 kbps \/ ~10.58 MB-per-minute CD-quality figures.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/xiph.org\/flac\/\">Xiph.Org \u2014 FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec)<\/a> \u2014 primary source confirming FLAC is lossless (\u201caudio is compressed in FLAC without any loss in quality\u201d).<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/preservation\/digital\/formats\/fdd\/fdd000001.shtml\">Library of Congress \u2014 WAVE Audio File Format<\/a> \u2014 authoritative format description: WAV is a RIFF container for (typically uncompressed) PCM audio, originally a joint IBM\/Microsoft specification.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WAV is uncompressed PCM, so it&#8217;s big. 5 ways to shrink it: lower bit depth, sample rate, go mono, or convert to FLAC or MP3 \u2014 and which tool to use.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":851,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-guides","category-tools"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Make a WAV File Smaller: 5 Ways to Reduce WAV File Size<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"WAV is uncompressed PCM, so it&#039;s big. 5 ways to shrink it: lower bit depth, sample rate, 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