How to Make an MP3 File on Windows, macOS, & Linux

Last Updated: January 31, 2023

Do you want to learn how to make MP3s of your favorite songs and sounds? MP3 is one of the most popular audio formats for sharing music online due to its relatively small size and cross-compatibility. You can use MP3s to store your entire music library without using as much hard drive space as you would with lossless files. You can rip CDs and save them as MP3s, convert other audio files to MP3s, or download audio from YouTube and convert it to the MP3 format. This wikiHow article teaches you how to make MP3 audio files in Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Things You Should Know

4K Video Downloader lets you download audio from YouTube videos and save them as MP3s.
VLC, iTunes, and Windows Media Player let you rip CDs and save them as MP3s.
Audacity can be used to record audio and convert audio files to MP3s.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Downloading MP3s from YouTube

1
Download 4K Video Downloader. 4K Video Downloader is a free program that is available for PC, Mac, and Linux. It is used to download videos from YouTube, but it can also be used to download audio from a YouTube video as an MP3 file. It is not suggested to share, send or even sell your download video or audio files. (Unless you get the content creator's permission.) Use the following steps to download and install 4K Video Downloader:
- Go to https://www.4kdownload.com/products/videodownloader/19 in a web browser.
- Click Get 4K Video Downloader.
- Click the 4K Video Downloader installation file in your web browser or Downloads folder.
- Follow the instructions to complete the download.
2
Search for a song in YouTube. Use the search bar at the top of YouTube.com to search for the name of a song or artist. Then press Enter.

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3
Play a video. When you see a song or video with audio you want to download, click it to start playing it.
4
Copy the URL. To do so, highlight the URL in the address bar at the top of your web browser. Right-click it and click Copy.
5
Open 4K Video Downloader. 4K Video Downloader has a green icon with an image that resembles a cloud. Click the 4K Video Downloader icon in the Windows Start menu or in the Applications folder on Mac.
- Alternatively, you can use an audio downloader website to download MP3s from YouTube.
6
Click Smart Mode. It's the second icon at the top. It has an icon that resembles a light bulb.
7
Check "Enable Smart Mode.". It's the checkbox at the top of the Smart Mode dialogue box. Smart Mode lets you choose the format you want to download videos in.
8
Select "MP3" as the format. Use the drop-down menu next to "Format" to select "MP3 * Audio."
- Optional: If you want to select the quality of the MP3 files, use the drop-down menu next to "Quality" to do so.
9
Click Ok. It's at the bottom of the Smart Mode dialogue box. This saves your Smart Mode settings.
10
Click Paste Link. It's the first option in the menu bar at the top of 4K Video Downloader. This will automatically paste the link you copied from YouTube and immediately start downloading the audio in MP3 format. Allow a few minutes for the download to complete.
- To go to the folder the MP3 is saved to, right-click the video file in 4K Video Downloader and click Show in Folder.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Ripping a CD

1
Download and install VLC. VLC is a free and open-source media player that allows you to rip audio from a CD to MP3 format. It is available for PC, Mac, and Linux. Ripping a CD allows you to copy music from a CD and save it in MP3 format. Use the following steps to download and install VLC:
- Go to https://www.videolan.org/vlc/ in a web browser.
- Click Download VLC.
- Open the VLC installation file in your web browser or Downloads folder.
- Follow the instructions to complete the download.
2
Open VLC. VLC has an icon that resemble an orange traffic cone. Click the VLC icon in the Windows Start menu or Applications folder on Mac to open VLC.
- Alternatively, you can use iTunes or Windows Media Player to rip CDs.
3
Insert a CD into your disc drive. Place any audio CD into your computer's disc drive. If your computer does not have a disk drive, you can purchase an external USB disc drive.
4
Click Media. It's the first option in the menu bar at the top. This displays a drop-down menu.
5
Click Convert/Save. It's near the bottom of the "Media" drop-down menu.
6
Click the Disc tab. It's the second tab at the top.
7
Click the radio option next to "Audio CD." It's the third option below "Disc Selection."
8
Select your starting track. To do so, enter the track you want to start ripping from in the box next to "Track" near the bottom of the dialogue box. If you want to rip the entire CD, set "1" as the starting track.
9
Click Convert/Save. It's the first option in the lower-right corner.
10
Select "Audio - MP3" as the profile. To do so, use the drop-down menu next to "Profile" below "Settings" to select "Audio - MP3."
11
Select a save destination. To do so, click Browse next to "Destination file." Then select where you want to save the MP3 files to. Enter the name of the first track next (with the ".mp3" extension) next to "File name." Then click Save.
12
Click Start. It's the first button in the lower-right corner. This starts ripping the CD. It may take several minutes for it to finish.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Audacity

1
Download and install Audacity. Audacity is a free and open-source program that can be used to record and process audio. Audacity is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can use Audacity to convert audio files to MP3s. For this, you will need to have an audio file, such as a WAV, M4U, M4P, AAC, AIFF, or other audio file format. Use the following steps to download and install Audacity:
- Go to https://www.audacityteam.org in a web browser.
- Click Download Audacity
- Open the Audacity installation file in your web browser or Downloads folder.
- Follow the instructions to complete the installation.
2
Locate the audio file on your computer. This could be files from your iTunes library, Music folder, or any audio file on your computer
- Alternative, you can record audio on your PC, or mobile phone.
3
Launch Audacity. Audacity has an icon that resembles a red soundwave between blue headphones. Click the Audacity icon in the Windows Start menu or Applications folder on Mac to open Audacity.
4
Import an audio file. This will import the audio file as a wave in Audacity. Use the following steps to import an audio file into Audacity:
- Click File in the menu bar at the top.
- Click Import.
- Click Audio.
- Select an audio file.
- Click Open.^{[1]
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5
Export the audio file as an MP3. This will convert the audio file into an MP3. You will have a copy of the audio file in its original format and an MP3. Use the following steps to export the audio from Audacity to MP3 format:
- Click File in the menu bar at the top.
- Click Export.
- Click Export as MP3.
- Select a save location for your MP3.
- Click Save.
- Click Ok.

Community Q&A

Question

I am doing a radio program on a live feed overseas. The segments are 48 to 52 minutes each, and have music intro and exit. What is the best way to convert the MP3 files exported to Audacity into a zip file?

Community Answer

If you are using a Mac, take an MP3 file and select it via finder> right-click > click compress.