MP3, WAV or OGG: which audio format should you use for speech?

Updated October 31, 2026

When you download speech, you can usually choose between MP3, WAV and OGG. They all sound good for spoken audio, but they differ in file size and where they work.

The quick answer

• MP3 for almost everything: sharing, phones, websites, podcasts and e-learning.
• WAV when you will edit the audio further, for example in a video or audio editor.
• OGG for web projects, games and apps that prefer open formats.

MP3

MP3 is a lossy compressed format: it removes parts of the sound that people are unlikely to notice, making files much smaller. Speech is simpler than music, so it compresses very well; at typical settings, you won't hear a difference from the original.

• Size: small. A minute of speech is usually well under 1 MB.
• Works with: practically every device, browser, media player, app and editor.
• Downside: each time you edit and re-save an MP3, a little quality is lost.

WAV

WAV usually stores audio uncompressed, sample by sample. Nothing is thrown away.

• Size: large, many times bigger than the same audio as MP3. Uncompressed CD-quality stereo is about 10 MB per minute; spoken mono audio at a lower sample rate is smaller, but still large.
• Works with: every audio and video editor, and most players.
• Best for: editing, mixing with music, and professional workflows where you'll export to another format at the end.

OGG

OGG is an open container format, usually holding audio compressed with the Vorbis or Opus codecs. Like MP3 it is lossy, and for speech it can sound as good as MP3 at a similar or smaller size.

• Size: small, similar to or smaller than MP3.
• Works with: modern browsers, Android, and many games and apps. Support on some older Apple devices and software is weaker, so check before you rely on it.
• Best for: websites and games, and projects that prefer open, royalty-free formats.

What about sample rate and bit rate?

Sample rate is how many times per second the sound is measured. Speech is clear at 22,050 or 24,000 samples per second; music is usually 44,100 or 48,000. Many neural voices are generated at 22 to 24 kHz, so converting them to a higher rate won't add detail.

Bit rate is how much data is used per second in compressed formats like MP3. For speech, 64 to 128 kbps is plenty.

Which formats can I download?

Everyone can download MP3. Free accounts also get WAV, and Pro accounts get OGG too. See pricing.