MP3 to WMA Converter

Convert MP3 to WMA Online

WMA (Windows Media Audio) is Microsoft's audio format, built around the ASF container and played natively by Windows Media Player and older Windows-era hardware. Converting MP3 to WMA makes sense when a legacy Windows device, in-car system, or media library expects .wma files. Note that both MP3 and WMA are lossy, so this is a second-generation transcode — the converter re-encodes already-compressed audio, so pick a bitrate at or above your source MP3's to avoid stacking audible artifacts.

How to Convert MP3 to WMA

1. Upload Your MP3 File: Drag and drop your MP3s onto the page or click "Add Files." You can queue several at once and they all use the same settings.
2. Set the Audio Codec: Open Advanced Options and pick the Audio Codec — WMA v2 (the default, recommended) or WMA v1 for maximum compatibility with very old players.
3. Choose Bitrate or Quality Preset: Use Quality Preset for a simple Highest-to-Lowest scale, or switch to Constant Bitrate to set an exact rate. Match or exceed your source MP3's bitrate so you don't lose more detail than necessary.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert and save your .wma file. No sign-up, no watermark.

MP3 vs WMA at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose audio quality converting MP3 to WMA?

Some, yes — this is lossy-to-lossy transcoding. Your MP3 has already discarded data during its original encode, and re-encoding to WMA discards a little more. The loss is usually subtle at sensible bitrates, but it is cumulative. To keep it minimal, set the WMA bitrate equal to or higher than your source MP3. Converting a 192 kbps MP3 to a 128 kbps WMA throws away more than necessary; converting it to 192 kbps WMA keeps the damage small.

What is the difference between WMA v1 and WMA v2?

WMA v2 (Windows Media Audio 9) is the standard, more efficient encoder and is the right default for almost everyone — it delivers CD-quality audio at 64-192 kbps and is backward-compatible with older Windows Media decoders. WMA v1 is the original 1999 codec; choose it only if you are targeting a very old device that predates v2 support. In our testing, a 3-minute 192 kbps MP3 re-encoded to 192 kbps WMA v2 produced a file of roughly 4.3 MB with no obvious change on casual listening.

Does WMA actually make smaller files than MP3?

Microsoft historically marketed WMA as producing files about half the size of an equivalent-quality MP3, but that claim was disputed and depends heavily on bitrate and material. In practice, at the same bitrate the two formats produce similarly sized files. WMA tends to hold detail better than MP3 at very low bitrates (below about 64 kbps), while at 128 kbps and above the two are broadly comparable. If small file size is your only goal, modern codecs like AAC or Opus outperform both.

Will my WMA file play outside of Windows?

Native WMA support is mainly a Windows and Windows Media Player story. Many third-party players (VLC, foobar2000) and some car stereos and DLNA devices decode WMA, but Apple's Music app, most phones, and a lot of modern web players do not handle it well. If you need broad compatibility, MP3 or AAC is the safer target; convert to WMA only when something specifically expects it. To go the other direction, use our WMA to MP3 converter.

Are my uploaded MP3 files kept private?

Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours. There is no sign-up, no watermark, and your files are never shared or made public. The practical limit on a big batch is upload time, not a per-file size cap.