GCSE Computer Science Tool

Sound File Size CalculatorCalculate audio file sizes with GCSE exam-ready explanations.

Calculate sound file sizes using sample rate, bit depth, channels, and duration. Perfect for GCSE Computer Science exam questions.

Sound Size Calculator

Sample Rate *Hz (samples per second)

Bit Depth *bits per sample

Channels *mono or stereo

Duration *seconds

Common durations: 60s (1 min), 180s (3 min), 3600s (1 hour)

Example Calculations

Telephone call (8 kHz, 8-bit, mono, 60 seconds)

8,000 Hz, 8-bit, 1 channel, 60s

Sound file size: 480000 bytes (468.75 KB, 0.4578 MB)

CD quality song (44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo, 180 seconds)

44,100 Hz, 16-bit, 2 channels, 180s

Sound file size: 31752000 bytes (31007.81 KB, 30.2811 MB)

HD podcast (48 kHz, 24-bit, mono, 3600 seconds)

48,000 Hz, 24-bit, 1 channel, 3600s

Sound file size: 518400000 bytes (506250.00 KB, 494.3848 MB)

Studio recording (96 kHz, 24-bit, stereo, 300 seconds)

96,000 Hz, 24-bit, 2 channels, 300s

Sound file size: 172800000 bytes (168750.00 KB, 164.7949 MB)

How to Calculate Sound File Size

Sound File Formula

Sample Rate × Bit Depth × Channels × Duration ÷ 8

Sample Rate

How many times per second the sound is measured. Higher rates = better quality = larger files.

Bit Depth

Bits per sample. More bits = more dynamic range = larger files. CD quality is 16-bit.

Channels

Mono = 1 channel, Stereo = 2 channels. More channels = larger files.

What Are Sample Rate and Bit Depth?

Sample Rate (Hz)

Telephone quality

Basic telephone calls

8,000 Hz

Very low

AM Radio

AM radio broadcasting

22,050 Hz

Low

FM Radio / CD Quality

CD audio, FM radio

44,100 Hz

Standard

DVD Quality

DVD audio, professional recording

48,000 Hz

High

Bit Depth (bits)

8-bit

Basic quality, 256 levels

8 bits

48 dB

16-bit

CD quality, 65,536 levels

16 bits

96 dB

24-bit

Professional recording, 16.7 million levels

24 bits

144 dB

32-bit float

Studio master quality

32 bits

Unlimited

Mono vs Stereo

Mono (1 Channel)

• Single audio channel
• Same sound from all speakers
• Smaller file sizes
• Used for podcasts, voice recordings
• Good for basic audio needs

Stereo (2 Channels)

• Two audio channels (left/right)
• Different sound for each ear
• Twice the file size of mono
• Used for music, movies, games
• Creates immersive sound experience

Frequently Asked Questions

Multiply sample rate by bit depth by number of channels by duration, then divide by 8 to convert bits to bytes.

Sample rate is how many times per second the sound is measured. Higher sample rates give better quality but larger files.

Stereo has 2 channels, mono has 1. Each channel needs separate audio data, so stereo files are twice the size of mono files.

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