How to Send Large Audio Files (WAV, Stems and Session Folders)

Send large audio as a download link, and decide the format before you upload. If the listener only needs to hear the track, a compressed file such as an MP3 is far smaller. Apple says compressed formats give you a much smaller file size, though the sound quality may not be as good as the original. If someone has to mix, master or edit it, send the original uncompressed file, because converting back will not restore what compression removed.

Pick the format first

• A rough mix for feedback: a compressed file is fine, and much smaller.
• A master, stems or a sample pack: send the originals. Apple notes that if you compress a song and it loses data, you can't uncompress it to retrieve the data, and that converting a compressed file to an uncompressed one does not improve quality. It only takes up more disk space.
• A whole session folder: zip it into one file first. Apple lists an uncompressed folder attached to a message as one reason Mail Drop might not send it.

Apple's import settings page gives a sense of the gap. At the MP3 High Quality setting, files are about 1 MB in size per minute of music, while WAV files take up much more disk space.

Ways to send a large audio file

Limits below come from each vendor's own help pages and were last checked on October 16, 2026. Vendors change them, so open the linked page if the exact number matters.

How to send a large audio file as a link

1. Export the right version. Compressed for listening, the original for production.
2. Bundle multiple files. Zip stems, takes or a session folder into one archive, so the recipient gets everything in one download.
3. Check the size against the limits above before you start.
4. Upload and copy the link. Wait for the upload to finish before you send the link.
5. Send it with a note. Say what is inside, which format it is, and when the link stops working. Send a password in a separate message.

When SoundCloud fits

A private link on SoundCloud suits a track you want someone to hear, not hand over. Apple's and Google's tools move files. SoundCloud streams a track, and the uploader has to turn downloads on. Its help center says enabling downloads lets listeners keep a copy of the original file format you uploaded, and that free users have a download limit of 100 downloads per track. You can reset the secret link to cut off anyone who still has the old one.

Send large audio files with Roceet

Roceet moves the file itself. That helps when the recipient needs the original WAV or the stems, with no streaming player in between and no sign-in. Drop your files below, enter your email, and confirm the 8-digit code we send. You get one link to put in an email or a message. Whoever opens it downloads what you uploaded.

What to expect:

• Free: transfers up to 2 GB each, with links you can set to last up to 2 days, after which they expire. You can send as many transfers as you like, as long as live ones fit in your 2 GB storage balance. The space returns when the files are deleted.
• Ultimate: $16.99 per user per month. Up to 200 GB per transfer and links of up to 30 days, for large session archives or sample libraries.
• Controls: an optional password and download limit on any transfer. You choose when the link expires, up to your plan's lifetime, and can extend it any time. Expired links can be restored for 2 days on Free and 7 days on Ultimate.

Use Mail Drop if you are on Apple Mail and the files are under 5 GB. Use SoundCloud when you want people to listen rather than collect files. Use a Roceet link when you want the files themselves to reach someone without an account on their end. Sending a video or a document instead? See how to send large video files and how to send large PDF files. For email limits, read how to send large files via email.