YouTube, Instagram and TikTok don't accept audio files, so turn your MP3 or WAV into an MP4 video: add album art or a photo, a blurred or colored background, a title and an optional waveform with a moving playhead. Choose widescreen, square or vertical and encode it right here, without uploading your music.
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Preview of the video frame · add your audio to start
Video size
Picture
Text and waveform
Encoder
Your video
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How to use the MP3 to MP4
Choose the audio file (MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG or FLAC).
Add a cover image if you have one, or leave it out for a color or gradient background.
Pick the size (16:9 for YouTube, 1:1 or 9:16 for social media) and the layout, background and colors.
Type a title and subtitle and choose a waveform style. Play the audio to see the playhead move in the preview.
Press Create MP4 video, wait for the progress bar, then press Download video.
Best settings for each platform
Where you post
Size to choose
Frame rate
Notes
YouTube (regular video)
16:9, 1080p (1920 × 1080)
Auto (2 or 12 fps)
Long songs, albums and podcasts are fine
YouTube Shorts
9:16, 1080p (1080 × 1920)
24 fps
Up to 3 minutes
Instagram Reels / TikTok
9:16, 1080p
24 fps
Reels need at least 23 fps
Instagram or Facebook feed
1:1, 1080p (1080 × 1080)
24 fps
Square fills the most space in the feed
Messaging apps, email
Any, 720p
Auto
720p keeps the file small
Platform rules change from time to time; check the current limits in each app's help pages before a big release.
What is inside the MP4
The ffmpeg encoder loops your designed picture as the video track with the x264 encoder tuned for still images (-tune stillimage), adds your audio as AAC at 192 kbps and moves the index to the start of the file (+faststart) so it starts playing before it has fully downloaded. Because the picture never changes, almost all of the file size is the audio: about 1.4 MB per minute at 192 kbps, plus a little for the picture.
The moving playhead is a small bar overlaid on the static waveform whose position is calculated for each frame as x = left edge + waveform width × t ÷ duration, so it reaches the end exactly when the audio ends.
Tips for a great looking audio video
Use square album art with the Cover in the middle layout and the Blurred cover background: the colors of the background always match the artwork.
Keep titles short. Long titles are wrapped to two lines and shortened with an ellipsis.
If the text is hard to read on a bright picture, pick a darker text color or switch to a gradient background.
For podcasts, put the episode title in Title and the show name in Subtitle.
Frequently asked questions
How do I upload an MP3 to YouTube?
YouTube only accepts video files, so the audio needs a picture. Load your MP3 here, add a cover image and title, keep the 16:9 size and 1080p, press Create MP4 video and upload the downloaded MP4 to YouTube as a normal video.
Does converting MP3 to MP4 lower the audio quality?
The audio is re-encoded to AAC at 192 kbps, the format MP4 players and YouTube expect. From an MP3 of 128 to 320 kbps the difference is very hard to hear, and YouTube re-encodes every upload anyway. Starting from a WAV or FLAC file gives the cleanest result.
Why is the frame rate so low?
With a still picture every frame is identical, so 2 frames per second is enough for YouTube and makes encoding much faster and the file smaller. The Auto setting uses 12 fps when the moving playhead is on and 24 fps for square and vertical videos, because Instagram Reels and some other platforms require at least 23 fps. You can choose 24 fps yourself at any time.
What image size should I use?
Use at least 1080 × 1080 pixels for a square cover, or 1920 × 1080 for a full-frame picture in 16:9. Smaller images still work but can look soft when scaled up. The cover is cropped to a square in the Cover in the middle layout; choose Whole image, no crop to keep the full picture.
How long does it take?
With the ffmpeg encoder a still-image video usually takes well under the length of the audio; the moving playhead and 24 fps take longer because more frames change. The first run downloads the encoder (about 31 MB) once. The browser recorder always takes exactly as long as the audio, because it plays it in real time.
Can I make videos for Instagram, TikTok or YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Choose 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts or 1:1 for a square feed post. Keep in mind that Shorts must be 3 minutes or less and other platforms have their own length limits, so trim long audio first with an audio cutter.
Is my audio uploaded anywhere?
No. The audio is decoded and the video is encoded inside your browser. Only the encoder program is downloaded from a public CDN the first time you use it.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.