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Audio Compressor

Reduce dynamic range to even out loud and quiet parts. Essential for podcasts, voice-overs, and professional audio production.

Supports MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC and more

How to use Audio Compressor.

4 simple steps to get started.

1
Step 1

Upload audio

Select the audio file to compress.

2
Step 2

Set parameters

Adjust threshold, ratio, and other settings.

3
Step 3

Preview

Listen to the compressed audio.

4
Step 4

Export

Download the compressed file.

Why use Audio Compressor?

Everything you need to know about audio compressor.

Audio Compressor — free & online

Reduce dynamic range to even out loud and quiet parts. Essential for podcasts, voice-overs, and professional audio production. No downloads, no sign-ups, and no accounts. Editing and preview run locally in your browser using the Web Audio API; exporting sends your file over an encrypted connection to our processing server, which deletes it as soon as your download finishes.

How does Audio Compressor work?

Simply upload your audio file — MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, or M4A — and use our intuitive editor to make your changes. Upload audio, Set parameters, Preview, Export. Once you're satisfied, export the result in your preferred format instantly.

Who is Audio Compressor for?

Whether you're a podcaster, musician, content creator, or just someone who needs a quick audio edit, Audio Compressor is built for you. It works on any device — desktop, tablet, or mobile — across all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

What a compressor is for

Dynamic range is the gap between the quietest and loudest parts of a recording. When that gap is too wide you get the familiar problem of having to turn the volume up to hear the quiet bits and then being startled by the loud ones. A compressor narrows the gap: above a threshold you set, it reduces gain, so peaks come down and the whole file can then be raised without those peaks hitting the ceiling.

Nothing about this is the same as the compression in an MP3. Despite the shared word, a dynamic range compressor changes how loud things are relative to each other; MP3 compression discards data to make a file smaller. They are unrelated operations that happen to share a name.

The four controls

  • Threshold, from -100 to 0 dB — the level above which reduction starts. Nothing below it is touched. Around -18 to -24 dB is a normal starting point for speech.
  • Ratio, from 1 to 100 — how hard the reduction is. At 4:1, a signal 8 dB over the threshold is reduced to 2 dB over. 2:1 to 4:1 is gentle and natural; above 10:1 you are limiting rather than compressing.
  • Attack, 0 to 1 second — how quickly reduction engages. Fast attacks catch transients and can dull consonants; slower attacks let the initial impact through, which usually sounds livelier.
  • Release, 0 to 5 seconds — how quickly it lets go. Too short produces audible pumping as the level breathes up and down; 0.1 to 0.3 seconds suits most speech.
Tip: If compression is audible as an effect, the ratio is too high or the release too short. Good compression on speech is noticed only by its absence — the recording simply stops having loud and quiet patches.

Typical starting points

For podcast or interview speech, try a threshold around -20 dB with a 3:1 ratio, a fairly quick attack and a release near 0.2 seconds, then raise the overall level afterwards with the Volume Changer. For music, go gentler: 2:1 at a higher threshold, with a slower attack so drum transients survive.

Order matters in a clean-up chain. Reduce noise before compressing, because a compressor raises quiet passages and will lift any remaining hiss along with the voice. Trim, then reduce noise, then compress, then set final volume. Processing runs on the server at export and the uploaded file is deleted straight afterwards.

Frequently asked questions.

Everything you need to know about Audio Compressor.

What does audio compression do?

It turns the loud parts down so the quiet parts can come up, narrowing the gap between them. The result sounds more even and, once you raise the level afterwards, louder overall. It has nothing to do with making the file smaller.

Can I adjust threshold and ratio?

Yes, along with attack and release: threshold from −100 to 0 dB, ratio from 1:1 to 20:1, attack from 0 to 500 ms and release from 10 to 1000 ms. The defaults are −24 dB, 4:1, 3 ms and 250 ms.

Is it good for podcasts?

Yes, close to essential. Speech recorded at a natural distance varies a lot in level, and compression is what lets it sit consistently in headphones, car speakers and phone speakers alike.

Will it distort my audio?

Heavy settings tend to pump or sound squashed rather than distort outright — a very fast attack with a high ratio flattens the transients that give audio its life. Start from the defaults and change one control at a time while previewing.

What compressor settings should I use for a podcast or voice?

A threshold near −20 dB, a ratio of 3:1 or 4:1, attack around 5–10 ms and release around 150–250 ms is a dependable starting point for speech. Then bring the whole thing back up with the Volume Changer.

What is the difference between a compressor and a limiter?

A limiter is a compressor with a very high ratio and a very fast attack, used as a ceiling rather than for shaping. Setting the ratio to 20:1 with a 0 ms attack here behaves much like one.

Does audio compression make the file smaller?

No, and the shared name causes endless confusion. Dynamic range compression changes how loud the audio is from moment to moment; file compression is what MP3 does. To shrink a file, use the Audio Converter and pick a lower bitrate.

Why is my audio quieter after compressing it?

Because compression only turns things down — it removes the peaks without putting the level back. That is expected: raise the result afterwards with the Volume Changer, which is the make-up gain step.