Choose from the available audio formats.Open the file you want to compress and click the "Share" button in the top right of the app.You can compress your audio file by using Descript’s export feature, which lets you choose either lossy compression (MP3) or lossless.
How to compress audio file size with Descript
Many free online audio compressors only convert to lossy files, so consider a more professional audio converter like Descript if you want the option to create WAV files. Keep in mind lossy compression removes a bunch of the audio data-and once it’s gone, it’s gone. That’s why most digital music and podcast audio are in MP3 format. Neither you nor your listeners should be able to tell the difference. As long as you’re not setting the bitrate too low when converting to an MP3 file, your file should be completely adequate for most uses. Most podcasters prefer to upload MP3 files to save space and prevent them from having to pay more for extra storage. There may even be a size limit each month on how much can be uploaded. Podcasting companies usually pay a monthly subscription to store their files based on size. If you’re worried about storage space, then lossy is probably your best bet. It’s possible to convert to lossy audio from a lossless format, but not the other way around. Lossless formats also act as a type of insurance policy of sorts in case you want to convert to an MP3 file later on. If you’re not worried about storage space or you’re really worried about audio quality, then a lossless format is the way to go. Generally, you’ll want to use lossless compression when you want a near-carbon copy of the original audio file, and lossy when you’re not worried about perfection. Which is “better” depends on why you want to compress the audio. It’s not really about which type of compression is superior-that’s comparing apples to oranges. Or, it would be reduced to a plot summary, resulting in a much smaller book. Instead of a book that’s six inches wide by nine inches tall, you’re now reading a book that’s four inches wide by six inches tall (with very tiny text).Ī lossy file, on the other hand, might have some filler words removed-but you’d still get the gist of the story. A lossless file would convert the book into a physically smaller size, but all of the words would still be there.
Think about when you read a physical book. In many cases, the changes will be imperceptible to the listener. You’ll get a much smaller file, making it easier to share and to play or stream, but you’ll also lose some of the overall sound quality. Compressing to lossy formats such as MP3s will use a lower audio bitrate-meaning you will lose a good chunk of the audio file data. WAV files use lossless audio compression. This format keeps all of your original audio intact, but the tradeoff is a larger file size. The main difference between them is the remaining file size. How does compression work?įile compression is usually split into two main types: lossy and lossless.
It’s not possible to take an existing compressed audio file and compress it further. Here’s the rub: you can only compress an audio file so much. The point is that you save storage space-whether that’s on your computer or cloud account-and make it easier transfer your file to others online. Audio file compression means simply reducing the file size of your audio while keeping the original data intact.