WAV (.wav)
Uncompressed lossless audio format developed by Microsoft and IBM. The professional standard for recording, editing, and archiving audio.
- Extension
- .wav
- MIME Type
- audio/wav
Last updated
Overview
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is an uncompressed audio container developed by Microsoft and IBM in 1991. It stores raw PCM audio data inside a RIFF container, meaning every sample is written exactly as recorded — no information is discarded. A one-minute stereo recording at CD quality (44.1 kHz, 16-bit) produces roughly 10 MB, compared to ~1 MB for an equivalent MP3.
WAV remains the dominant format in professional audio production, broadcast, and archival because it offers zero-generation-loss editing — you can cut, process, and export a WAV file hundreds of times without accumulating audio artefacts.
Common Uses
- Professional audio recording — digital audio workstations (DAWs) write to WAV during recording sessions
- CD authoring — CD audio tracks are stored as 44.1 kHz 16-bit WAV files
- Sound design and game audio — game engines and sound editors require uncompressed sources
- Broadcast and post-production — television and film workflows use WAV for dialogue, music, and effects
Advantages
- No quality loss — PCM encoding stores every sample without compression artefacts
- Universal compatibility — supported by every DAW, audio editor, and operating system without plugins
- Simple structure — straightforward RIFF container makes it easy to parse and process programmatically
- Suitable for editing — can be cut and re-encoded many times with zero accumulated loss
Limitations
- Large file sizes — uncompressed audio is 10× larger than equivalent MP3 files, making it impractical for streaming or mobile storage
- No native metadata standard — WAV metadata (ID3 tags) support is inconsistent across players; use FLAC for lossless audio with reliable tagging
- Not ideal for web delivery — browsers prefer AAC or OGG for streaming; WAV files cause unnecessary bandwidth usage
Supported Software
- Windows: Windows Media Player, Audacity, Adobe Audition, FL Studio, Reaper
- macOS: GarageBand, Logic Pro, Audacity, QuickTime Player
- Linux: Audacity, VLC, Ardour
- Online: FixFile.online Convert to WAV tool
Tools for WAV files
Related terms
Related terms
- Bit Depth
The number of bits used to represent each colour channel in an image or audio sample. More bits = more possible values = finer gradations. Common values: 8-bit (256 values), 16-bit (65,536 values), 24-bit (audio).
- File Extension
The suffix at the end of a filename (e.g. .pdf, .jpg, .zip) that indicates the file's format and which application should open it.
- Sample Rate
The number of audio samples recorded per second, measured in Hz or kHz. Higher sample rates capture higher frequencies. CD audio uses 44,100 Hz (44.1 kHz); professional recording uses 96,000 Hz (96 kHz).