GSM to WAV converter
Convert GSM to WAV in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your audio never leaves your device.
Last updated
Quick answer: To convert GSM to WAV, add the GSM file to the iHateFiles GSM to WAV converter and press Convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up, watermark or size limit. GSM is a format most software has stopped opening. WAV is not.
Should you convert GSM to WAV?
Do this when an editor, DAW or device needs WAV. It will not make the GSM sound any better, and the file grows several times over.
WAV will not restore what GSM removed
WAV stores every sample exactly, including the damage GSM compression already did. Expect about 10 MB per minute instead of about 0.1 MB, for audio that sounds identical. Do it because an editor or device needs WAV, not to improve the sound.
GSM was made for voices
GSM is a phone-call codec that keeps only the frequencies speech needs, roughly up to 4 kHz. Converting to WAV makes the recording open everywhere, but it will still sound like a phone call, because the rest of the sound was never recorded.
Where the WAV will play
WAV plays on every editor, DAW and operating system.
GSM and WAV side by side
| GSM | WAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the file | GSM full-rate speech | uncompressed PCM |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless |
| Carries sound | Yes | Yes |
| One minute of stereo | about 0.1 MB | about 10 MB |
| Plays on | Needs converting first | every editor, DAW and operating system |
| Here | Read only | Read and write |
What usually goes wrong
About the GSM. The quality ceiling is the codec, not the file. Converting to a higher bitrate cannot add back a frequency range that was never captured.
About the WAV. Converting an MP3 to WAV makes the file ten times larger without recovering anything. The detail the MP3 discarded is gone.
How to convert GSM to WAV
- Add your GSM file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to WAV.
- Press convert and the WAV file is saved back to your device.
WAV converter: everything that converts to WAV
Questions
How do I convert GSM to WAV?
Open this page, add your GSM file, and press convert. The file is decoded and re-encoded by your own browser and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Is this GSM to WAV converter free?
Yes, completely. There is no account, no sign-in, no watermark and no daily limit, because there is no server doing the work. Your own device does it.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. There is no upload endpoint. The conversion runs inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device. You can open your browser's network panel and watch: nothing carrying your file is sent.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Because the work happens on your machine there is no server quota. The only ceiling is your own device's memory, which for video means very large files may be slow.
Will converting to WAV lose quality?
WAV is lossless, so this step throws nothing away. If the original was already a lossy format, the damage it did cannot be undone, but nothing further is lost.
Can I convert several GSM files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.