WAV File Format (.wav)
A WAV file holds digital audio, almost always uncompressed PCM samples, wrapped in Microsoft and IBM's RIFF chunk structure, the same sample encoding used on audio CDs.
WAV at a glance#
| Full name | Waveform Audio File Format |
|---|---|
| File extension | .wav |
| Category | Audio Files |
| Developer | Microsoft and IBM |
| First released | 1991 |
| MIME types | audio/wavaudio/vnd.waveaudio/x-wav |
| Compression | Uncompressed |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads and writes this format |
What a .wav file can hold#
These are the things a WAV file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Lossless compression | Yes |
|---|---|
| Embedded metadata | Yes |
| Audio | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of WAV#
What WAV does well
- Stores uncompressed PCM, so there's no lossy encoding step to introduce artifacts
- Universally supported by DAWs and audio editors, making it the default interchange format in music production
- Simple enough that almost any programming language can read and write it without a library
- Broadcast Wave (BWF) extensions carry timecode and production notes for professional workflows
Where WAV falls short
- Uncompressed audio runs about 10 MB per minute at CD quality, far larger than any lossy or compressed-lossless format
- The classic format's 32-bit size field caps a standard WAV file just under 4 GB, around 6.8 hours at CD quality
- No standard place for cover art the way ID3 or MP4 atoms provide, so most WAV files in practice carry no tags even though the container allows them
Use WAV for recording, editing and mixing, where uncompressed audio and broad software support matter more than file size.
Convert WAV to MP3 or FLAC once editing is finished and the file needs to be distributed, since raw PCM is unnecessarily large for listening rather than production.
How to open a .wav file#
A .wav file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts WAV 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 | Windows Media Player, VLC, Audacity |
| macOS | QuickTime Player, Music, Audacity |
| Linux | VLC, Audacity, Rhythmbox |
| iOS | VLC, GarageBand |
| Android | VLC |
| Web | FileFlip |
WAV questions people ask#
Is WAV a lossless format?
Yes, WAV is lossless in the sense that matters for audio: it stores uncompressed PCM samples with nothing removed and nothing approximated. It isn't compressed at all, so there's no algorithm that could introduce loss, unlike FLAC, which compresses the audio but still decodes back to the exact same samples.
Why are WAV files so much bigger than MP3s?
WAV files are bigger than MP3s because WAV stores every audio sample uncompressed, while MP3 discards sound and compresses what's left to about a tenth of the size. A three-minute song runs roughly 30 MB as CD-quality WAV versus 3-5 MB as a 192 kbps MP3.
Does converting WAV to MP3 lose quality?
Yes, converting WAV to MP3 loses quality, because MP3 is a lossy codec that permanently discards audio data during encoding. The loss is usually inaudible at 256-320 kbps, but it is real and can't be undone by converting the MP3 back to WAV.
What plays WAV files?
Every mainstream media player and DAW plays WAV files: Windows Media Player and VLC on Windows, QuickTime Player and Music on macOS, and Audacity, Pro Tools, Logic and Ableton Live everywhere audio gets edited. Support is effectively universal because the format has been the audio industry's baseline since 1991.
Can a WAV file contain compressed audio?
Technically yes: the WAV container can hold compressed formats like ADPCM through its format-tag system, a leftover from Microsoft's old Audio Compression Manager. In practice almost every WAV file in circulation holds uncompressed PCM, which is what people mean when they call WAV an uncompressed format.
Converting WAV files#
Convert WAV to another format
Convert another format to WAV
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.