WAV file format (.wav)
Uncompressed PCM. Lossless, large, editable everywhere.
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What is a WAV file?
In short: A WAV file (.wav) is an audio file in the WAV format. A WAV file normally holds uncompressed samples exactly as they were recorded: about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo. It can be converted to MP3 or FLAC for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.
Defined jointly by Microsoft and IBM in 1991, using the RIFF container.
A WAV file normally holds uncompressed samples exactly as they were recorded: about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo. There is no decoding step, no quality loss, and no ambiguity, which is why it is the working format in recording and editing.
What WAV is good at
- Completely lossless, with nothing discarded
- No decoding delay, so editing is responsive
- Universally readable by audio software
Where WAV falls short
- About ten times the size of a good MP3
- The classic format is capped at 4 GB, roughly six hours
- Metadata support is poor
When to use WAV
Use WAV while recording and editing, and export a compressed format when you are finished.
How to open a WAV file
Every audio application and operating system.
| Windows | Opens everywhere. |
|---|---|
| macOS | Opens everywhere. |
| Linux | Opens everywhere. |
| Phone | Opens everywhere. |
| In a browser | Every browser plays WAV, though large files load slowly because nothing is compressed. |
The thing that usually goes wrong
Converting an MP3 to WAV makes the file ten times larger without recovering anything. The detail the MP3 discarded is gone.
Questions
What is a WAV file?
Uncompressed PCM. Lossless, large, editable everywhere. Files use the .wav extension.
How do I open a WAV file?
Most audio software opens WAV directly. If yours does not, convert it here to something more common. It takes a few seconds and nothing is uploaded.
Can I convert WAV 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 WAV lossless?
Yes. WAV stores every sample exactly, at the cost of a larger file.