Download current and archived LAME MP3 encoder builds for Windows, including lame.exe and libmp3lame.dll. Current MinGW packages also include a standard Blade-compatible lame_enc.dll. The current LAME 4.0 package set below includes this site’s separate cVBR and cVBRb development builds. Independently compiled builds from the official LAME 4.0 branch are available on the official-branch LAME 4.0 page.
Use the Windows builds below for command-line encoding, Exact Audio Copy integration, batch work and current cVBRb features.
Use the Online MP3 Encoder for quick browser-based conversion without installing anything. Use the EAC Guide if you are ripping CDs. Use Command Examples if you want copy-and-paste LAME commands, and the MP3 Bitrate Guide if you are choosing between VBR, CBR, V0, V2, 192 kbps or 320 kbps.
For the technical behaviour behind strict minimum VBR and bitrate boost, see cVBR explanation and measured comparison.
Have a supported NVIDIA GPU? The final card under Downloads by build type is a specialist CUDA x64 release, with full compatibility and usage notes on the LAME CUDA page.
Browse packages by LAME version without mixing release numbers into every build title. This keeps Visual Studio SIMD and MinGW Solid State variants easier to compare as more package sets are published.
Choose Visual Studio SIMD builds when you want optimized CPU runtime paths, multi-threaded encoder work and bitrate-boost options. The compact cards mark these as SSE2/AVX/Multi-thread. Choose MinGW Solid State builds for the compatibility-focused package with runtime DLLs and a standard Blade-compatible lame_enc.dll included. Use the version filter above as the catalogue grows.
Performance-focused 64-bit Visual Studio SIMD build with cVBRb features, runtime SIMD path selection and OpenMP-assisted encoder work.
Enhancements: SSE2/AVX/Multi-thread
32-bit Visual Studio SIMD build for users who want the same SIMD mode structure as the x64 performance build on 32-bit Windows targets.
Enhancements: SSE2/AVX/Multi-thread
High-compatibility 64-bit MinGW Solid State package. It includes lame.exe and libmp3lame.dll with the cVBRb feature set, plus a standard Blade-compatible lame_enc.dll for older applications.
High-compatibility 32-bit MinGW Solid State package. It includes lame.exe and libmp3lame.dll with the cVBRb feature set, plus a standard Blade-compatible lame_enc.dll for older applications.
A specialist Visual Studio build that accelerates selected psychoacoustic and bitrate-decision work on supported NVIDIA GPUs while retaining cVBRb controls and final LAME MP3 generation.
Recommended for: selected GeForce GTX 10/16 and RTX 20/30/40/50 series cards, plus compatible NVIDIA professional GPUs.
Most users should choose a standard CPU build. A compatible NVIDIA driver is required for CUDA encoding.
The Visual Studio packages are optimized SIMD cVBRb Windows builds with newer performance paths, stricter bitrate-control options and bitrate-boost support.
Shared VS build features include ABR boost support at level 1, SSE2 baseline with an AVX2 runtime CPU path where supported, and OpenMP-assisted multi-threading for selected quantization/Huffman work.
In plain terms, OpenMP is used to let some heavier encoding work use more than one CPU thread. Individual packages may still differ by architecture, branch feature set, executable name and command-line options. MinGW packages remain separate because they now serve as the Solid State compatibility line while Visual Studio carries the SIMD performance line.
These notes describe branch behaviour and user-facing options. The shared Visual Studio enhancements are grouped above so the individual package listings can focus on what differs between the Visual Studio SIMD builds and the MinGW Solid State compatibility builds.
The --vbr-min-strict option turns the bitrate supplied with -b into a hard floor. Unlike LAME -F, frames should not be encoded below the configured minimum.
The --vbr-max <bitrate> option can set a maximum allowed bitrate for cVBR mode, useful for streaming, device compatibility and controlled distribution targets.
The cVBRb branch adds --bitrate-boost[=n] for demanding audio changes. Levels 1, 2 and 3 map to light, medium and aggressive boost behaviour.
Standard LAME options remain supported. These examples highlight the additional options included in this fork. If you only need a quick browser-based conversion, use the Online MP3 Encoder. If you rip CDs with Exact Audio Copy, see the EAC LAME guide. For more examples, see the command-line examples.
lame -V0 -b 192 --vbr-min-strict --vbr-max 320 input.wav output.mp3Constrains VBR output between 192 kbps and 320 kbps.
lame -V0 -b 192 --vbr-min-strict --bitrate-boost=2 input.wav output.mp3Enables medium bitrate boost in the cVBRb branch.
lame --abr 192 --bitrate-boost input.wav output.mp3Bitrate boost also works in ABR mode, limited to level 1.
lame --decode input.mp3 output.wavThe encoder EXE is the primary command-line tool and can be used directly for normal encoding. The MinGW bundles include separate DLL interfaces: libmp3lame.dll for compatible applications and lame_enc.dll for older Blade-compatible hosts. The latter uses standard LAME and does not include the cVBRb presets or SIMD assembly optimisations.
New users often expect an installer or a desktop app. These packages are command line encoder builds, so the EXE is normally run with input and output filenames rather than opened by double-clicking. Prefer not to use the command line? Open the Online MP3 Encoder.
Unzip one package, place a WAV file in the same folder, open PowerShell in that folder and run a command like this:
.\lame.exe input.wav output.mp3Use the actual EXE name from your download. If the command succeeds, the new MP3 file appears in the same folder.
A command line encoder is a tool rather than a full music app. It is designed to be called with options, used in scripts, or used by other software that needs MP3 encoding.
lame.exe is a Windows command line encoder. It is a program you run from Command Prompt, PowerShell, a batch file or another audio application to convert supported audio input into an MP3 file.
These packages are portable encoder builds. There is no setup wizard. You unzip the package and run the encoder EXE directly from Command Prompt or PowerShell. The EXE is the main tool. The MinGW bundles also include libmp3lame.dll, decode-support DLLs and a standard Blade-compatible lame_enc.dll for older host applications.
Open PowerShell or Command Prompt in the folder containing the EXE and run a command such as lame.exe input.wav output.mp3. Replace the EXE name with the build you downloaded and replace the filenames with your own audio file names.
A WAV file is the easiest starting point. Put the WAV file in the same folder as the encoder, then use it as the input file in the command. MP3 output will be written to the filename you choose.
Usually no. If you double-click a command line encoder, a console window may appear and close quickly because no input or output file was supplied. Run it from PowerShell or Command Prompt so you can provide filenames and options.
Most users on modern Windows should start with an x64 build. Use an x86 build only for older 32-bit systems. Visual Studio SIMD builds are the optimized performance packages, while MinGW Solid State builds are the high-compatibility packages that include the required runtime DLLs.
cVBR is a constrained VBR branch that can keep variable bitrate encoding within a stricter range. cVBRb adds bitrate boost behaviour for more demanding audio changes. Standard LAME options still remain available.
For normal command-line encoding, use lame.exe directly. In the MinGW bundles, libmp3lame.dll supports compatible applications and the included lame_enc.dll provides the older standard Blade-compatible interface. Keep libmpg123-0.dll and libiconv-2.dll with the bundle where required.
No. The MinGW bundle includes a standard Blade-compatible lame_enc.dll for older applications, but that DLL uses the standard LAME encoder without the additional cVBR/cVBRb presets or SIMD assembly optimisations. Use lame.exe or libmp3lame.dll from the same bundle for this site's additional bitrate-control features.
The VirusTotal link lets you view an external scan report for the ZIP file SHA-256. It is provided as a verification aid, not a guarantee. Always compare the SHA-256 on this page with the file you downloaded, and remember that new command-line tools or DLLs can sometimes produce false positives.
No. Checksums are provided as an advanced detail for users who want to manually verify a downloaded ZIP file. Most users can simply download the package that matches their Windows system and follow the usage example.
Use this section to compare included files, branch features and technical package information. All current cards now identify the cVBRb branch. Visual Studio packages list their SIMD and multi-threaded enhancements, while MinGW Solid State packages also identify the included standard lame_enc.dll. cVBRb and SIMD features apply to lame.exe and libmp3lame.dll, not to lame_enc.dll.
Use this when you want the fastest 64-bit build and your CPU supports the newer SIMD paths.
lame-4.0-cVBRb-20260715-bundle-VS-x64.zipd233004acef059b0ba72f600fbb3d33a4a2fd2899c2342c725e55ca99ef8d930VirusTotal is an external verification aid. Compare the SHA-256 above with your downloaded ZIP. A clean report does not guarantee safety, and a detection can be a false positive.
Use this for 32-bit compatibility while keeping the same SIMD-capable feature line as the x64 Visual Studio build.
lame-4.0-cVBRb-20260715-bundle-VS-x86.zip69f40eec02348fa731419eed3386ff2bf7a12414b3b0f2f65ebed8f3ae9efe1dVirusTotal is an external verification aid. Compare the SHA-256 above with your downloaded ZIP. A clean report does not guarantee safety, and a detection can be a false positive.
Use this when compatibility and a simple predictable encoder path matter more than peak SIMD performance.
lame-4.0-cVBRb-20260801-bundle-x64.zipc735a59ced118737cbc968183ef39d3647e88f8bd24e3fdeccae5a55a414a26bVirusTotal is an external verification aid. Compare the SHA-256 above with your downloaded ZIP. A clean report does not guarantee safety, and a detection can be a false positive.
Use this for older 32-bit Windows compatibility and the simplest supported MinGW release path.
lame-4.0-cVBRb-20260801-bundle-x86.zip11d8676561ab71f9a369fcec74fbed6b25156ef21183e68c6bc838d90c454016VirusTotal is an external verification aid. Compare the SHA-256 above with your downloaded ZIP. A clean report does not guarantee safety, and a detection can be a false positive.
The original LAME project built its reputation through encoder quality, speed, psychoacoustic tuning, VBR improvements and open collaboration. This site presents an independent build branch with its own release notes and Windows packages.
LAME began around mid-1998 as work around an earlier MP3 encoder, then grew through open-source collaboration into a respected encoder project.
The project moved beyond patch work and replaced the remaining reference source, becoming a complete LGPL MP3 encoder.
Development focused on psychoacoustics, noise shaping, VBR behaviour, presets, speed and practical listening quality.
Current packages are based on LAME 4.0 cVBR and cVBRb development.
Most visitors are looking for the Windows encoder download or the browser encoder.