How big is a WAV file per minute?
CD-quality WAV (44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo) uses 176.4 kB per second — about 10.6 MB per minute or 635 MB per hour, in decimal units. Doubling the sample rate, bit depth, or channel count doubles the size; a 96 kHz/24-bit stereo master runs about 34.6 MB per minute.
The PCM storage formula
Uncompressed digital audio stores a fixed number of samples for every second and channel. Each sample uses the selected bit depth. Multiplying those values gives bits per second; multiplying by duration and dividing by eight gives bytes.
bytes = seconds × samples per second × bits per sample × channels ÷ 8
For one hour of 96 kHz, 24-bit stereo audio, the calculation is 3,600 × 96,000 × 24 × 2 ÷ 8, which equals 2,073,600,000 bytes. That is 2.0736 decimal GB or about 1.93 GiB before a WAV or Broadcast Wave header.
Why WAV and FLAC cannot share one exact result
WAV and BWF commonly store PCM samples with a relatively small container overhead, so their uncompressed size stays close to the calculated payload. FLAC uses lossless compression: decoding restores the same PCM samples, but the stored size depends on the recording. Silence, speech, music, tape hiss, and surface noise do not compress by the same amount.
Lossy files such as MP3 or AAC are normally planned by bitrate instead. A 128 kbps MP3 has a predictable target rate, but it is not a substitute for an uncompressed preservation master merely because the duration is the same.
Sample rate, bit depth, and channels affect different things
Sample rate is the number of samples recorded per second. Bit depth is the number of bits allocated to each sample. Channels are simultaneous signal paths. Doubling any one of these values doubles the PCM storage when the other values and duration stay fixed.
The calculator can quantify that storage change. It cannot decide whether a setting captures useful information from a particular cassette, disc, reel, deck, interface, or signal path. That decision belongs to the capture workflow and preservation goal.
Plan real-time work separately from storage
Analog audio must normally play while it is captured. Ten recorded hours therefore require at least ten playback hours, plus setup, level checks, side changes, track splitting, naming, metadata, quality control, and copying. The media archive planner includes an editable work multiplier for a whole mixed-media project.
Sources and calculation status
The Canadian Heritage Information Network presents the same PCM bitrate and WAV file-size equations and provides reference sizes for common 24-bit recording settings. The Library of Congress Recommended Formats Statement identifies preferred characteristics for long-term audio works but does not turn one setting into a universal rule for every source.
Primary references: Canadian Heritage Information Network, A Museum’s Guide to Digitizing Audio; Library of Congress Recommended Formats — Audio Works.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my operating system report less space than the drive label?
Drive labels usually use decimal GB, while some operating systems display binary GiB but label it as GB. One decimal GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes; one GiB is 1,073,741,824 bytes. The ledger shows both.
Does 32-bit float use the same size as 32-bit integer PCM?
Both typically allocate 32 bits per sample and therefore have the same sample-payload size at the same rate and channel count. Their numeric representation and workflow purpose differ. This calculator’s 32-bit option labels integer PCM and should not be treated as format advice.
How do I include an MP3 access copy?
Calculate the PCM master here, then calculate the MP3 separately as bitrate × duration. Add both totals before multiplying by the number of copies you plan to keep.
Can I use the result for multitrack recording?
Yes. Select or model the total number of simultaneous stored channels. For channel counts not listed, the same formula applies and can be added as a future custom input.