Format comparison
OPUS vs MP3
By Suprabhat Updated How we write these
The short answer
Opus sounds better than MP3 at the same size, and far better at the low bitrates used for voice: it is what WhatsApp voice notes, Discord and video calls use. MP3 is still the format every car stereo, old player and DJ program opens without question.
Opus
Choose OPUS when
- Voice notes, podcasts and speech at low bitrates
- Audio for the web, streaming or calls
- The smallest file at a given quality
MPEG-1 Audio Layer III
Choose MP3 when
- It has to play on a car stereo or an older device
- DJ software, music libraries and editors
- You’re sending it to someone and don’t know what they’ll use
Side by side
| Property | OPUS | MP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Opus | MPEG-1 Audio Layer III |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
| Audio | — | — |
| Typical quality | 24–128 kbps | 128–320 kbps |
| Typical size | A minute of voice note is often under 200 KB | About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps, 2.4 MB at 320 kbps |
| Support | Patchy | Opens everywhere |
| Opens on | Browsers, Android and chat apps; many media players, editors and forms can’t open .opus files | Every phone, computer, car stereo, speaker and app |
| Best for | Voice notes, calls and streaming at low bitrates | Music and voice that has to play on anything |
| Introduced | 2012 | 1993 |
Watch out with OPUS
WhatsApp voice notes exported from a phone are Opus files, sometimes named .ogg, which many players and transcription services refuse.
Watch out with MP3
Converting a low-bitrate MP3 to 320 kbps makes it bigger without making it sound any better; what was thrown away is gone.
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Questions
Is OPUS better than MP3?
Opus sounds better than MP3 at the same size, and far better at the low bitrates used for voice: it is what WhatsApp voice notes, Discord and video calls use. MP3 is still the format every car stereo, old player and DJ program opens without question.
Which is smaller, OPUS or MP3?
OPUS is usually smaller for the same content. OPUS: A minute of voice note is often under 200 KB. MP3: About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps, 2.4 MB at 320 kbps.
How do I convert OPUS to MP3?
Use the free OPUS to MP3 converter. It runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded.
How do I convert MP3 to OPUS?
Use the free MP3 to OPUS converter. It works the same way, entirely on your device.
More format comparisons
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MP3 vs WAV: which should you use?
WAV is uncompressed, perfect audio about ten times the size of an MP3. MP3 at 192 kbps or more sounds the same to almost everyone, so use it for listening and sharing, and WAV for recording, editing and mastering. - Format comparison
M4A vs MP3: which should you use?
M4A (AAC audio) sounds a little better than MP3 at the same bitrate and is the default for iPhones and iTunes. MP3 is older and slightly less efficient, but every car stereo, speaker and player ever made can play it. - Format comparison
FLAC vs MP3: which should you use?
FLAC is lossless: it keeps CD quality in roughly half the space of WAV. MP3 throws detail away to be about a fifth of FLAC’s size. Keep FLAC as your archive and convert to MP3 for phones, cars and sharing. - Format comparison
FLAC vs WAV: which should you use?
FLAC and WAV sound identical, bit for bit. FLAC is compressed without loss to about half the size and carries proper tags and artwork; WAV is uncompressed and opens in every audio editor.