Simple Right Click Convert WAV to MP3 in Windows

Problem

There's no easy way to convert WAV files to MP3 files instantly - usually you have to open up an audio application, load the WAV file, export it as MP3... too much work!

Solution

1. Download lame encoder from http://www.free-codecs.com/LameEncoderdownload.htm
2. Extract lame.exe to somewhere sensible (e.g. C:/Program Files/lame.exe)
3. In an Explorer window, go Tools > Folder Options
4. Click on the File Types tab
5. Scroll down to WAV; select it
6. Click on the Advanced button
7. Click New... to add a new right click association
8. In Action, type in Lame MP3 128kbps (or something descriptive)
9. In Application used, type in the following (including quotes): "C:/Program Files/lame.exe" -b 128 -h "%1" "%1-mp3.mp3"
10. Click OK, OK, Close
11. Voila! You can now right click WAV files in Windows, and an option will appear to convert it automatically into an MP3. You can also do this for batch conversion.

Solution 2

If you have Winamp installed, you can use the Format Converter built-in. Simply drop the file into your playlist, right click it and select "Send To > Format Converter".