How to create an audio waveform image online — free, no upload
- Step 1Add your audio online — Drop the track or clip (MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A/AAC, OGG, Opus). It's decoded in your browser via the Web Audio API — no account, no upload. For a moment from a longer track, trim first with audio-trimmer.
- Step 2Set the size for your platform — Square 1080×1080 for Instagram; 1500×500 for an X post; ~1280×640 for a thumbnail accent. Width range 320–3840, height 80–1080. Wider canvases show more of the track.
- Step 3Pick a style —
bars/filledgive the classic bold soundwave;linegives a thin, modern accent. Choose based on how busy your background art is. - Step 4Apply your brand colours — Set the wave Color and Background to your channel palette. Note the export is opaque, so pick a background that matches your design or that you'll crop out later.
- Step 5Choose JPG or PNG — JPG (quality 0.1–1) uploads fast and is great for social; PNG is lossless for further editing. PNG ignores the quality slider.
- Step 6Download and post — Download
<name>-waveform.png(or.jpg) and drop it straight into your post, thumbnail, or video editor. No watermark, no sign-up.
Platform-ready sizes
Common social/content sizes, all within the tool's 320–3840 × 80–1080 range.
| Platform / use | Width × Height | Suggested style | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram square | 1080 × 1080 | bars | jpg |
| X / Twitter post | 1500 × 500 | bars | jpg |
| YouTube thumbnail accent | 1280 × 640 | filled | png |
| TikTok / Reels audiogram strip | 1080 × 360 | line | jpg |
| Newsletter header | 1200 × 200 | line | png |
Format choice for creators
When to pick PNG vs JPG.
| Format | Pros | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Lossless, crisp edges | You'll keep editing or need sharp thin lines |
| JPG | Smaller file, fast upload | Posting wide images straight to social |
Tier limits (audio family)
Per-file caps from lib/tier-limits.ts. One file at a time on Free.
| Tier | Max size | Max duration | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 50 MB | 30 min | 1 |
| Pro | 200 MB | 120 min | 10 |
| Pro-media | 100 GB | Unlimited | 100 |
| Developer | 100 GB | Unlimited | 100 |
Cookbook
Copy-paste settings for the content you're making. Output is an image named <source>-waveform.png or .jpg — no watermark.
Instagram square soundwave
A bold square waveform to layer over your reel cover or carousel slide.
Input: hook.mp3 (20 s) Width: 1080 Height: 1080 Style: bars Color: #ffffff Background: #6d28d9 Format: jpg (0.9) Output: hook-waveform.jpg
X post audiogram strip
A wide strip you can post as-is or overlay with a playhead in a quick video edit.
Input: clip.mp3 (50 s) Width: 1500 Height: 500 Style: filled Color: #22d3ee Background: #0a0a14 Format: jpg (0.85) Output: clip-waveform.jpg
YouTube thumbnail accent
A lossless waveform accent to composite into a thumbnail in your editor without compression artefacts on the edges.
Width: 1280 Height: 640 Style: bars Color: #f59e0b Background: #18181b Format: png Output: a crisp accent for thumbnail layering
Sleek newsletter header line
A thin line wave makes a tasteful header that doesn't fight your copy.
Width: 1200 Height: 180 Style: line Color: #334155 Background: #f8fafc Format: png Output: a quiet header graphic
Long upload? Pick JPG and a moderate quality
Wide PNGs can be large for some upload flows. JPG at 0.8–0.9 keeps the look and shrinks the file.
Render: 3000x600, bars PNG -> large JPG quality 0.9 -> much smaller, same visual JPG quality 0.6 -> smallest, slight softening on thin lines
Edge cases and what actually happens
Wanted a circular/spinning waveform for a reel
Not supportedOnly horizontal styles exist: bars, line, filled. There's no radial/circular mode and no animation — the output is a still image. For an animated audiogram, render a still strip here and animate a playhead over it in a video editor.
Need a transparent PNG to drop over a photo
Not supportedExports are opaque — the background colour is filled before drawing. Set the background to match your post, or remove it later in an image editor for an overlay.
Asked for an SVG to scale infinitely
Not supportedOutput is raster PNG/JPG. For apparent scalability, render a large PNG (up to 3840×1080) and scale it down in your layout.
Full track too long for Free
RejectedFree caps at 30 min / 50 MB. For a long episode or mix, trim a clip with audio-trimmer or upgrade to Pro (120 min / 200 MB).
Long mix at small width is a solid block
ExpectedEach pixel column folds many samples into one min/max, so long audio at small widths looks solid. Render wider (toward 3840) to keep the shape visible.
Track shows one wave, not stereo
By designChannels are down-mixed to mono before drawing. For a stereo-looking dual lane, split with channel-splitter and stack two renders.
File won't decode in the browser
Decode errorSome formats (or DRM-protected files) won't decode natively. Convert first — e.g. ogg-to-mp3 or m4a-to-mp3 — then make the waveform.
JPG looks soft on thin line styles
ExpectedJPG compresses hard edges; at low quality, a thin line wave can soften. Use PNG for thin lines, or keep JPG quality at 0.85–1. Bold bars/filled tolerate JPG better.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free with no account or watermark?
Yes. No sign-up is needed and there's no watermark on the image. The waveform is generated in your browser and exported straight from the canvas.
Does my audio get uploaded?
No. The file is decoded with the Web Audio API and drawn on a canvas locally. Nothing is uploaded and no audio file is created — only the image you download.
What size should I use for Instagram or X?
1080×1080 for an Instagram square; 1500×500 for an X post. The tool renders at any width (320–3840) and height (80–1080), so match your platform's recommended dimensions.
Can I make a circular or animated waveform?
No. Styles are horizontal bars, line, and filled, and the output is a still image. For an animated audiogram, animate a playhead over a still waveform strip in a video editor.
Can I get a transparent background to overlay on a photo?
No — exports are opaque. Set the background to match your design, or knock it out in an image editor for an overlay.
PNG or JPG for social?
JPG for fast-uploading wide social images; PNG when you'll keep editing or need crisp thin lines. PNG is lossless and ignores the quality slider; JPG honours it (0.1–1).
Can I match my brand colours?
Yes. The Color picker sets the wave and the Background picker sets the canvas — both accept any hex value.
Why does my stereo track render as one wave?
The tool down-mixes to mono before drawing. For a stereo look, split with channel-splitter and render each channel, then stack them.
How do I make an audiogram for TikTok or Reels?
Trim a clip with audio-trimmer, render a wide waveform strip (e.g. 1080×360), then overlay it with a playhead in your video editor. This tool produces the still wave.
My track is long — will it work?
Free allows up to 30 minutes / 50 MB; Pro up to 120 minutes / 200 MB. For long mixes, render at a wide width so the wave keeps its shape, or trim a highlight.
Does this change my original audio?
No. The tool only reads samples to draw the image; it never re-encodes or overwrites your file.
What formats can I load?
Whatever your browser decodes natively — typically MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A/AAC, OGG, and Opus. If one won't load, convert it first with a JAD converter such as wav-to-mp3.
Privacy first
Every JAD Audio tool runs entirely in your browser via FFmpeg (WebAssembly) and RNNoise. Your audio files never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.