RA file format (.ra)
RealAudio, the streaming audio of the dial-up era.
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What is an RA file?
In short: An RA file (.ra) is an audio file in the RA format. RealAudio streamed sound over 14.4k modems, which meant heavily compressed mono at telephone quality. It can be converted to MP3, WAV or FLAC for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.
RealAudio, launched in 1995 as the first practical streaming audio on the internet.
RealAudio streamed sound over 14.4k modems, which meant heavily compressed mono at telephone quality. It made internet radio possible years before anything else could, and the archives of that era are still in it.
What RA is good at
- Worked over connections that could carry nothing else
- Historic archive of early internet radio
- Very small files
Where RA falls short
- Obsolete
- Quality that only makes sense against a dial-up constraint
- Almost nothing plays it
When to use RA
Convert RA to MP3 to keep an old recording playable.
How to open a RA file
VLC and dedicated converters.
| Windows | VLC. |
|---|---|
| macOS | VLC. |
| Linux | VLC or mpv. |
| Phone | VLC. |
| In a browser | No browser plays RealAudio. |
The thing that usually goes wrong
These recordings were made for modems. Converting keeps them alive but cannot make them sound better than they were captured.
Questions
What is a RA file?
RealAudio, the streaming audio of the dial-up era. Files use the .ra extension.
How do I open a RA file?
RA is not widely supported any more. The reliable route is to convert it to a current format, which this page can do in your browser without uploading it.
Can I convert RA for free?
Yes. Every conversion here is free and unlimited, because your own device does the work rather than a server we have to pay for.
Is RA lossless?
No. RA is a lossy format, so saving discards some detail to save space.