Restore Compressed Audio
Repair audio that lost quality to heavy compression and download one restored file.
- Online, in your browser: nothing to install
- Free to try: 5 credits when you sign in with Google, no card
- 1 credit per minute of song: a 4-minute song is 4 credits, about $0.30 (pricing)
- MP3, WAV, M4A or FLAC up to 10 minutes; parts download as 320 kbps MP3
- Failed splits give the credits back
Files are kept for 30 days
- RestoredEmpty
How to restore compressed audio
- Upload a file. MP3, WAV, M4A or FLAC, up to 10 minutes.
- Press Restore the audio. The price is on the button before it runs: 1 credit per minute of audio. New accounts get 5 credits after signing in with Google.
- Wait a few minutes. It usually takes 1 to 3 minutes, longer when many people are using it.
- Compare and download. You get one file, Restored. Click the reels to switch between your original and the result, then download it as a 320 kbps MP3.
If a job fails, your credits are refunded.
What compression damage sounds like
When audio is squeezed into a small file, such as an MP3 at 128 kbps or lower, the encoder throws away detail it thinks you will not notice. At low bitrates you do notice. Cymbals turn into a watery hiss, high notes get thin, and some sounds feel smeared or swirly. Files that were converted from one lossy format to another more than once can sound even worse.
This tool uses a model trained to repair that kind of damage. It is aimed at compressed files, not at old recordings or quiet voice memos.
Restore Compressed Audio or Audio Upscaler?
The two pages sound similar, but they do different jobs.
- Restore Compressed Audio is for files that were damaged by compression, such as a low-bitrate MP3. The model works to restore the quality that compression took away.
- Audio Upscaler is for audio that is dull because the high frequencies are missing. It predicts the top end and adds it back, which suits old recordings, muffled voice memos and tracks cut off at a low frequency.
If your file sounds watery, swirly or thin because it is a small MP3, start here. If it is simply dull or muffled, try the Audio Upscaler. If the file has both problems, you can try one and then the other, but listen after each step to be sure it improved.
What it cannot do
It will not make a bad recording sound like a studio one. Noise, clipping, room echo and a weak performance stay in the file. Compression repair also has limits: a very low-bitrate file may improve a little or a lot, depending on the audio. Compare against the original before you replace anything.
FAQ
How much does it cost?
1 credit per minute of audio, shown on the button before you start. New accounts get 5 credits after signing in with Google, enough for 5 minutes. Failed jobs are refunded.
Can it fix a 128 kbps MP3?
That is the kind of file it is made for. How much better it sounds depends on the audio, so compare the Restored file with your original.
How is this different from the Audio Upscaler?
Restore Compressed Audio repairs damage caused by compression. The Audio Upscaler adds missing high frequencies to dull audio. Pick by the problem you hear.
What files can I upload, and what do I get?
MP3, WAV, M4A or FLAC up to 10 minutes. You get one file called Restored, as a 320 kbps MP3.