AudioKit

Stereo to mono converter

Mix the left and right channels into one: perfect for podcasts, voice notes and recordings where the sound only comes out of one side.

  • Runs on your device
  • No upload
  • No sign-up
  • Free

Drop stereo audio or video files. Mono is preselected.

Stays on this device: nothing is uploaded. You can also drag a file here or paste it.

Output format

MP3: sharing, podcasts, car stereos, anything that must just play.

What mono conversion does

Each output sample is the average of the left and right samples at that moment. Sound recorded equally on both sides comes through unchanged; sound only on one side ends up in the middle at a lower level.

Mono halves the uncompressed size, so a mono WAV is about 5 MB per minute instead of 10. With MP3 or M4A, a mono file at 96 kbps sounds as good as stereo at about 160 kbps for speech. See compress audio for size targets.

Questions people ask

How do I convert stereo audio to mono?

Drop the files above. Mono is already selected under Channels; pick the output format and each file is converted with its left and right channels mixed into one.

Will converting to mono lose anything?

You lose the left–right placement, nothing else. Sounds panned hard to one side get about 3–6 dB quieter in the mix. For speech, podcasts and voice notes there’s usually no audible difference.

Why convert to mono?

Half the data for the same quality (or the same size at a higher bitrate per channel), and one-sided recordings, such as a mic plugged into only the left input, play from both speakers. Many podcast hosts and phone systems also prefer mono.

Can a mono mix sound hollow?

Yes, if the stereo recording had out-of-phase channels (some wide-stereo effects and spaced microphones). Those parts cancel when summed. If the mono version sounds thin, keep that track stereo.

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