VOC File Format (.voc)
A VOC file holds audio in Creative Voice File format, the format Creative Labs introduced alongside the original Sound Blaster card in 1989 for storing digitized speech and sound effects in DOS-era games.
VOC at a glance#
| Full name | Creative Voice File |
|---|---|
| File extension | .voc |
| Category | Audio Files |
| Developer | Creative Labs |
| First released | 1989 |
| MIME types | audio/x-voc |
| Compression | Varies from file to file |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads and writes this format |
Strengths and limitations of VOC#
What VOC does well
- 26-byte header and block-based structure kept it simple enough for the sound card hardware of its era to write directly
- Supports plain PCM as well as Creative's own ADPCM compression within the same block format
Where VOC falls short
- Superseded by WAV once Windows made RIFF WAVE the default audio format, so almost nothing produces VOC files anymore
- Carries no structured metadata, only raw audio and marker blocks
- Rarely supported by modern software outside audio editors and DOS emulation tools
VOC mainly shows up today inside old DOS games and their emulation via DOSBox, where the original sound assets were never converted to a newer format.
Convert VOC to WAV to play or edit the audio in current software, since almost every modern audio tool reads WAV and very few still read VOC.
How to open a .voc file#
A .voc file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts VOC into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | Audacity, VLC |
| macOS | Audacity, VLC |
| Linux | Audacity, VLC, SoX |
| Web | FileFlip |
VOC questions people ask#
What creates a VOC file?
VOC files come from Creative Labs' own Sound Blaster recording software and from DOS-era games that shipped their speech and sound effects in this format, since VOC was the native audio format for early Sound Blaster cards.
What still opens VOC files?
Audacity and VLC open VOC files on any current operating system, and DOSBox reads them as part of running the original DOS games they came from. Mainstream media players generally do not support the format.
What should I convert a VOC file to?
Convert VOC to WAV for the widest compatibility with current media players and audio editors. Most VOC files hold uncompressed PCM data, so converting to WAV loses nothing.
Converting VOC files#
Convert VOC to another format
Convert another format to VOC
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.