Audio · recording
Audio file size.
Choose uncompressed audio (WAV, AIFF, raw PCM) or a constant bit rate (MP3, AAC and similar). Enter the length. See the size in MB and MiB, the data per minute and per hour, and the bit rate.
Your numbers
Result
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
Ten minutes of 48 kHz, 24-bit stereo audio: 48,000 × 24 × 2 = 2,304,000 bit/s. Over 600 s that is 1,382,400,000 bits = 172,800,000 bytes = 172.8 MB (164.8 MiB). One hour of CD-quality 44.1 kHz 16-bit stereo is 1,411.2 kbit/s × 3,600 s ÷ 8 = 635 MB.
How it works
For uncompressed audio, bit rate = sample rate × bit depth × channels; CD audio is 44,100 × 16 × 2 = 1,411,200 bit/s. Size in bytes = bit rate × seconds ÷ 8. For a constant-bit-rate codec, use its bit rate in the same formula. MB here means 1,000,000 bytes; MiB means 1,048,576 bytes, which some operating systems label MB.
The figure is the audio data only. Container headers and tags add a little. Variable-bit-rate files vary around their average, and lossless compression such as FLAC lands somewhere below the uncompressed size depending on the music, so it is not modelled.
Sources and basis (checked 2026-10-05): Wikipedia: Bit rate (uncompressed audio bit rate = sample rate × bit depth × channels; CD audio 1,411.2 kbit/s). Arithmetic on the numbers you enter.
FAQ
How big is a WAV file per minute?
At 44.1 kHz, 16-bit stereo, about 10.6 MB per minute. At 48 kHz, 24-bit stereo, about 17.3 MB per minute.
How do I calculate audio file size?
Multiply sample rate by bit depth by channels to get bits per second, then by the seconds, and divide by 8 for bytes.
How big is a 128 kbps MP3?
About 0.96 MB per minute, or 57.6 MB per hour, at a constant 128 kbps.
Why is the size on my computer different?
Operating systems may show MiB or GiB, headers and tags add a few kilobytes, and variable-bit-rate files differ from their average.
Does this include video?
No. For video size see the Video Bitrate Calculator.