XWMA File Format (.xwma)
An XWMA file holds audio compressed with Microsoft's WMA codec inside a RIFF container variant built for XAudio2, the low-level audio API Microsoft supplies to Xbox and Windows game developers, so the format appears almost exclusively as a game asset rather than as a general music file.
XWMA at a glance#
| Full name | Xbox Waveform Audio |
|---|---|
| File extension | .xwma |
| Category | Audio Files |
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Compression | Lossy |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
Strengths and limitations of XWMA#
What XWMA does well
- XAudio2 decodes it directly on Xbox and Windows without a software codec, which is why game engines use it for streamed music and dialogue
- Compresses noticeably smaller than the uncompressed PCM or ADPCM a game would otherwise ship, mattering for disc and download size
Where XWMA falls short
- Almost no consumer media players or editors open it, since it was built for a game audio API rather than for general playback
- Extracting it from a game usually requires a game-specific unpacking tool before any converter can even see the file
XWMA belongs inside a game's own audio pipeline, built with XAudio2, where its job is efficient streaming playback rather than general storage.
Convert XWMA to WAV or MP3 when working with audio extracted from a game, such as for modding, preservation, or listening to a soundtrack outside the game itself.
How to open a .xwma file#
A .xwma file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts XWMA 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 | foobar2000 (vgmstream plugin), VGMStream, Winamp (vgmstream plugin) |
| macOS | VGMStream |
| Linux | VGMStream |
| Web | FileFlip |
XWMA questions people ask#
What creates an XWMA file?
XWMA files come from game development tools built on Microsoft's XAudio2 API, and from extracting audio assets out of Xbox 360 and Windows games that used XAudio2 for their sound. It is not a format any general recording or editing software produces on its own.
What plays XWMA files?
VGMStream, the game-audio playback tool, decodes XWMA directly, and its plugins let foobar2000 and Winamp play it too. Ordinary media players do not recognize the format, since it was built specifically for XAudio2, not for general playback.
What should I convert an XWMA file to?
Convert XWMA to WAV to preserve full quality for editing, or to MP3 for a smaller file to listen to outside the game it came from. Either target opens in ordinary media players and editors, unlike the original XWMA file.
Converting XWMA files#
Convert XWMA to another format
FileFlip does not write .xwma files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
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.