Free MP3 sample files
The most widely supported lossy audio format. Download valid MP3 test files in 5 exact sizes, from 100 KB to 10 MB, each with a checksum.
- Extension
- .mp3
- MIME type
- audio/mpeg
- Kind
- Binary
- Category
- Audio
MP3 files by size
Every file below is a valid MPEG-1 Audio Layer III file of exactly the stated size. Open a file's page for its checksum and contents, and to preview it in your browser before downloading.
| File | Size | Contents | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 KB MP3 samplesample-mp3-100kb.mp3 | 100 KB102,400 bytes | 6.4 s | Download MP3 |
| 500 KB MP3 samplesample-mp3-500kb.mp3 | 500 KB512,000 bytes | 32.0 s | Download MP3 |
| 1 MB MP3 samplesample-mp3-1mb.mp3 | 1 MB1,048,576 bytes | 1 min 6 s | Download MP3 |
| 5 MB MP3 samplesample-mp3-5mb.mp3 | 5 MB5,242,880 bytes | 5 min 28 s | Download MP3 |
| 10 MB MP3 samplesample-mp3-10mb.mp3 | 10 MB10,485,760 bytes | 10 min 55 s | Download MP3 |
What is an MP3 file?
MP3 compresses audio by removing sound that human hearing is unlikely to perceive. A file is a chain of short frames, each about 26 milliseconds long and independently headed, which is why MP3 can be streamed and cut at almost any point.
Title, artist and artwork are stored in ID3 tags, usually at the start of the file. They are not part of the audio standard, but every player reads them.
How to recognise an MP3 file
| Extension | .mp3 |
|---|---|
| MIME type | audio/mpeg |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 11172-3 and 13818-3 |
| Bit rates | 32 to 320 kbit/s, constant or variable |
| Frame length | 1,152 samples |
| Metadata | ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags |
What to test for
These are the behaviours that most often go wrong when software handles MP3 files.
- Duration is not stored in a header. Players estimate it from bit rate and file size, which goes wrong for variable-bit-rate files that lack a Xing header.
- A large ID3 tag with artwork can push the first audio frame far into the file, confusing naive sniffers.
Strengths of MP3
- Plays on essentially every device made in the last twenty-five years.
- Frames are independent, so files can be streamed and cut anywhere.
Limitations of MP3
- Lossy, and less efficient than newer codecs such as AAC and Opus.
- Duration is not stored reliably, so players sometimes report it wrongly.
Typical uses of MP3 test files
- Testing audio upload and playback
- Checking duration detection and waveform rendering
- Testing transcoding and podcast pipelines
Software that opens MP3
- Every media player, browser and phone
- Audacity, LAME and FFmpeg
Specifications
Related
MP3 sample files: questions
- What is on the MP3 samples?
- A short synthesised musical phrase that repeats. It was generated by code for this site, so it is free of any music copyright.
- What is the MIME type of an MP3 file?
- The MIME type is audio/mpeg. The file extension is .mp3.
- Is a sample MP3 file the same as a dummy or example MP3 file?
- Yes. Sample, test, dummy and example MP3 files are different names for the same thing: an MP3 file with known contents that stands in for a real one. Any file on this page will do wherever a tutorial or a test plan asks for a dummy MP3 file.