Audio File Size Calculator
Calculate the uncompressed PCM audio file size (WAV/AIFF) from sample rate, bit depth, channel count, and duration.
How to use this tool
- Enter sample rate, bit depth, channels and duration in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your file size and the full breakdown beneath it.
Estimate the storage space needed for uncompressed PCM audio (WAV, AIFF).
⚠ This tool provides general estimates for education only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures may not reflect your situation — verify with a qualified professional.
Formula
Bits per second = sample rate × bit depth × channels
Total bits = bits per second × duration (s)
File size (MB) = total bits ÷ 8 ÷ 1 048 576
Bitrate (kbps) = bits per second ÷ 1000
How it works
This calculator computes the uncompressed PCM file size for WAV or AIFF audio by multiplying the sample rate, bit depth, and channel count to obtain a bitrate, then scaling by the recording duration. The result is the raw data size and does not include file header overhead, which is typically negligible (44 bytes for a WAV header).
The formula applies strictly to uncompressed linear PCM. Compressed formats such as MP3 or AAC produce substantially smaller files; use the bitrate-to-file-size calculator for those.
Worked example
- 44 100 Hz, 16-bit, stereo (2 channels), 1 minute.
- Bits per second = 44 100 × 16 × 2 = 1 411 200 bps.
- Duration = 1 × 60 = 60 s; total bits = 1 411 200 × 60 = 84 672 000 bits.
- File size = 84 672 000 / 8 / 1 048 576 ≈ 10.09 MB.
File size: 10.09 MB | Bitrate: 1411.2 kbps
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting to multiply by the number of channels; a stereo file (2 channels) is exactly twice the size of an equivalent mono file.
- Confusing bit depth 24 (sample resolution) with 24 kbps (a compressed bitrate); they are unrelated.
- Calculating size for the audio data only and forgetting that WAV/AIFF headers add a small but non-zero overhead.
Key terms
- Sample rate
- The number of audio samples per second (Hz). Higher sample rates capture higher frequencies.
- Bit depth
- The number of bits used to encode each audio sample, determining dynamic range. 16-bit gives ~96 dB; 24-bit gives ~144 dB of dynamic range.
- PCM (Pulse-Code Modulation)
- The standard method of encoding uncompressed digital audio by sampling amplitude at regular intervals and representing each sample as a binary number.
- Bitrate
- The number of bits transmitted or stored per second. For uncompressed PCM: sample rate × bit depth × channels.
- Mebibyte (MiB / MB)
- In this calculator, 1 MB = 1 048 576 bytes (2²⁰), the binary megabyte used in audio engineering and file system contexts.
Frequently asked questions
- How large is 1 minute of CD-quality audio?
- 1 minute of 44.1 kHz, 16-bit stereo PCM is approximately 10.09 MB uncompressed.
- Does this include MP3 compression?
- No — this calculator is for uncompressed PCM (WAV/AIFF). Use the Bitrate File Size calculator for compressed formats.