"Bitrate is the single most important setting that decides if your audio sounds like a masterpiece… or a potato."
Every time you convert a video to audio, you see this dropdown: 128, 192, 256, 320 kbps…
Which one should you pick? This guide answers that forever.
Bitrate = how many kilobits of data are used per second of audio.
Higher bitrate = more data = better quality = bigger file.
| Bitrate | Quality Level | File Size (per minute) | Perceptible Difference vs 320 kbps | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128 kbps | Acceptable | ~1 MB | Very noticeable | Voice, podcasts |
| 192 kbps | Good | ~1.4 MB | Noticeable on good headphones | Casual listening |
| 256 kbps | Excellent | ~1.9 MB | Very hard to hear difference | Spotify Premium quality |
| 320 kbps | Near-perfect | ~2.4 MB | Transparent for 98% of people | Our default recommendation |
| VBR 0–2 | Best possible | Varies (~2–3 MB) | Indistinguishable from source | Absolute best quality |
CBR (Constant Bit Rate): Uses the same amount of data every second.
VBR (Variable Bit Rate): Uses more bits for complex parts (drums, vocals), fewer for silence.
→ VBR almost always sounds better at the same average file size.
Our converter defaults to 320 kbps for a reason – it’s the best balance in 2025.