How to Convert OPUS to MP3: Telegram & Voice Message Guide

What Is the OPUS Format?

OPUS is a modern, open-source audio codec developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It was designed to handle everything from low-bitrate voice communication to high-fidelity music streaming in a single codec. It is the most technically advanced lossy audio codec available, outperforming both MP3 and AAC at virtually every bitrate.

You likely encounter OPUS files regularly without realizing it:

• Telegram voice messages are stored as .ogg files containing OPUS audio
• WhatsApp voice messages use OPUS in the .opus container
• Discord voice chat is transmitted using OPUS
• WebRTC (video calling in browsers) uses OPUS for audio
• YouTube uses OPUS for audio on many videos
• Wikipedia uses OPUS for audio clips

The problem? Despite being technically superior, OPUS is not universally supported by consumer devices and applications. Many music players, car stereos, older phones, and basic audio editors cannot open OPUS files. Converting to MP3 provides universal compatibility at the cost of slightly larger file sizes.

OPUS vs MP3: Why OPUS Is Better (But MP3 Is More Compatible)

OPUS achieves at 64 kbps what MP3 needs 128-160 kbps to match. This is why messaging apps use OPUS — it delivers clear voice audio at tiny file sizes, which matters when billions of voice messages are sent daily.

Converting Telegram Voice Messages

Telegram stores voice messages as .ogg files with OPUS encoding. When you download a voice message from Telegram, you get a file like audio_2026-02-19_14-35-22.ogg.

Step 1: Download the Voice Message

Telegram Desktop:

1. Open the chat with the voice message
2. Right-click the voice message
3. Select Save Audio As or Save to Downloads

Telegram Mobile:

1. Long-press the voice message
2. Tap Save to Music or Share > Save to Files

Step 2: Convert with FFmpeg

# Basic conversion
ffmpeg -i audio_2026-02-19_14-35-22.ogg -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k output.mp3

# For voice messages (speech-optimized)
ffmpeg -i voice_message.ogg -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -ac 1 output.mp3

The -ac 1 flag outputs mono audio, which is appropriate for voice messages (they are typically mono) and halves the file size.

Step 3: Convert with Online Tool

For quick conversion without FFmpeg, use the MP3 converter or the audio converter. Upload the .ogg file and download the MP3 result.

Converting WhatsApp Voice Messages

WhatsApp uses OPUS in its own container format. Voice messages are saved with the .opus extension.

Locating WhatsApp Voice Messages

Android:

/sdcard/Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Voice Notes/

iPhone: WhatsApp voice messages are not directly accessible in the filesystem. Use the WhatsApp export feature:

1. Open the chat
2. Tap the contact name at the top
3. Scroll down to Export Chat
4. Include media

Converting WhatsApp OPUS

ffmpeg -i whatsapp_voice.opus -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k output.mp3

WhatsApp voice messages are typically encoded at 16 kbps OPUS (extremely low bitrate, optimized for speech). Converting to 128 kbps MP3 more than captures all the quality present in the source.

Method 1: FFmpeg (Best Quality, Full Control)

FFmpeg provides the most control over the OPUS-to-MP3 conversion process.

Basic Conversion

ffmpeg -i input.opus -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 0 output.mp3

Quality Settings by Source Type

With Metadata

OPUS files can contain Vorbis comments (metadata). To preserve them as ID3 tags in the MP3:

ffmpeg -i input.opus -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 0 \
  -map_metadata 0 -id3v2_version 3 output.mp3

Adjusting Sample Rate

Some OPUS files use lower sample rates for efficiency (especially voice messages at 16 kHz or 24 kHz). When converting to MP3, you can either keep the original sample rate or normalize to 44.1 kHz:

# Keep original sample rate
ffmpeg -i input.opus -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k output.mp3

# Normalize to 44.1 kHz (CD standard)
ffmpeg -i input.opus -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k -ar 44100 output.mp3

Normalizing to 44.1 kHz is recommended for compatibility with all MP3 players. For details on sample rates and audio quality, see our AAC vs MP3 comparison.

Method 2: Online Converter

The audio converter and MP3 converter accept OPUS and OGG files for direct conversion.

Steps:

1. Navigate to the MP3 converter
2. Upload your .opus or .ogg file
3. Select quality settings
4. Download the MP3

This method requires no software installation and works from any device with a web browser, including smartphones.

Method 3: Audacity (Free Audio Editor)

Audacity can open OPUS files and export as MP3:

1. Open Audacity
2. Go to File > Open and select your OPUS file
3. Optionally, edit the audio (trim, normalize, noise reduction)
4. Go to File > Export > Export as MP3
5. Set the bitrate and quality mode
6. Fill in the metadata tags
7. Click Save

Audacity is particularly useful if you want to edit the audio before converting — for example, trimming silence from voice messages, normalizing volume, or applying noise reduction to clean up a recording.

Method 4: Batch Converting Multiple OPUS Files

All Voice Messages from a Telegram Export

#!/bin/bash
mkdir -p mp3_output

for file in *.ogg *.opus; do
  [ -f "$file" ] || continue
  name="${file%.*}"
  echo "Converting: $file"
  ffmpeg -i "$file" -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k \
    -ar 44100 -map_metadata 0 -id3v2_version 3 \
    "mp3_output/${name}.mp3" -y 2>/dev/null
  echo "Done: ${name}.mp3"
done

echo "All files converted."

WhatsApp Voice Notes (Recursive)

WhatsApp organizes voice notes in date-based folders. This script handles the nested structure:

#!/bin/bash
SRC_DIR="/sdcard/Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Voice Notes"
OUT_DIR="$HOME/WhatsApp_MP3"

find "$SRC_DIR" -name "*.opus" -type f | while read -r file; do
  rel_path="${file#$SRC_DIR/}"
  out_path="$OUT_DIR/${rel_path%.opus}.mp3"
  out_dir=$(dirname "$out_path")

  mkdir -p "$out_dir"
  echo "Converting: $rel_path"
  ffmpeg -i "$file" -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k \
    -ar 44100 "$out_path" -y 2>/dev/null
done

PowerShell (Windows)

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "mp3_output"

Get-ChildItem -Filter "*.opus" -Recurse | ForEach-Object {
    $output = "mp3_output\" + $_.BaseName + ".mp3"
    Write-Host "Converting: $($_.Name)"
    ffmpeg -i $_.FullName -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k `
        -ar 44100 $output -y 2>$null
}

For more batch conversion techniques, see our how to batch convert files guide and batch processing guide.

Extracting OPUS Audio from Video

OPUS audio is also used in WebM and some MKV video files. To extract it:

Extract and Keep as OPUS

ffmpeg -i video.webm -vn -c:a copy audio.opus

Extract and Convert to MP3

ffmpeg -i video.webm -vn -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 0 audio.mp3

For more on extracting audio from video files, see our how to extract audio from video guide or use the extract audio tool. For converting WebM video, see our how to convert WebM to MP4 guide.

Improving Voice Message Audio Quality

Voice messages are often recorded in noisy environments. Before converting, you can clean up the audio:

Noise Reduction with FFmpeg

# Step 1: Generate a noise profile from the first second of silence
ffmpeg -i voice.ogg -af "silencedetect=noise=-30dB:d=0.5" -f null - 2>&1

# Step 2: Apply noise reduction and convert to MP3
ffmpeg -i voice.ogg -af "afftdn=nf=-25" \
  -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k output_clean.mp3

Volume Normalization

Voice messages often have inconsistent volume:

# Normalize volume to -16 LUFS (broadcast standard)
ffmpeg -i voice.ogg -af "loudnorm=I=-16:TP=-1.5:LRA=11" \
  -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k output_normalized.mp3

Trim Silence

Remove dead silence at the beginning and end:

ffmpeg -i voice.ogg \
  -af "silenceremove=start_periods=1:start_threshold=-50dB:start_duration=0.1,areverse,silenceremove=start_periods=1:start_threshold=-50dB:start_duration=0.1,areverse" \
  -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k output_trimmed.mp3

File Size Comparison

Converting from OPUS to MP3 increases file size because MP3 is less efficient:

For voice messages at 32 kbps OPUS, converting to 128 kbps MP3 quadruples the file size but ensures universal compatibility. The quality will sound identical because 128 kbps MP3 exceeds the quality ceiling of 32 kbps OPUS for speech content.

Alternative Formats to Consider

Before converting to MP3, consider whether another format might serve your needs better:

• AAC (M4A): Better quality than MP3, supports Apple devices natively. Use the audio converter to output M4A
• FLAC: If the OPUS source is high-bitrate music and you want lossless archival
• WAV: If you need an uncompressed intermediate for audio editing. See our how to convert WAV to MP3 guide for the subsequent MP3 conversion
• Keep OPUS: If your target devices support it, OPUS is the better format. Only convert if you need compatibility

For a comprehensive comparison of audio formats, see our best audio format for music guide and best audio format for podcasts guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are Telegram voice messages in OPUS format?

OPUS provides excellent speech quality at very low bitrates (16-64 kbps), which reduces bandwidth and storage costs. For a platform that processes billions of voice messages, the efficiency savings are enormous.

Can I play OPUS files on iPhone?

Not with the default Music app. You need a third-party player like VLC for iOS, or convert to MP3 or M4A for native playback. The MP3 converter works directly from Safari on iPhone.

Does converting OPUS to MP3 lose quality?

Yes, both are lossy formats, so transcoding introduces an additional generation of compression. However, for voice messages (which are typically 32-64 kbps OPUS), converting to 128 kbps MP3 preserves all perceptible quality because the MP3 bitrate exceeds the source quality.

How do I convert multiple Telegram voice messages at once?

Use the batch script provided in Method 4, or use the audio converter to upload and convert multiple files through the browser.

Can I convert OGG to MP3?

Yes. OGG is a container format that usually contains Vorbis or OPUS audio. FFmpeg handles both: ffmpeg -i input.ogg -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 0 output.mp3. The MP3 converter also accepts OGG files.

Conclusion

Converting OPUS to MP3 is essential for universal playback of voice messages, podcast downloads, and audio files from modern platforms that use the OPUS codec. FFmpeg with LAME produces the best results. For voice messages, 128 kbps MP3 is more than sufficient. For music, use 320 kbps or VBR V0.

The MP3 converter and audio converter provide a quick browser-based option for users on any device. For batch processing entire chat histories, the shell scripts in this guide automate the conversion of hundreds of files in minutes.

For related audio conversion guides, explore how to convert M4A to MP3, how to convert WMA to MP3, and how to convert WAV to MP3.