WAV is a popular audio file type known for its ability to maintain high sound quality. This format is often used by professionals working with Microsoft Windows programs. Because WAV files are typically uncompressed, they retain good sound quality but tend to be larger in size compared to compressed formats. In this article, let's explore what a WAV file is , its key features, and how to play or convert WAV files to other audio formats.
What is a WAV file?
Files with the .WAV or .WAVE file extension are waveform audio files. This is a standard audio format commonly found on Windows computers. These files are typically uncompressed, but compression is supported.
Uncompressed WAV files are larger than other popular audio formats, such as MP3, so they are generally not used as the preferred audio format when sharing music files online or purchasing music, but rather in audio editing software, operating system functions, and video games.
How to open WAV/WAVE files
Users can open WAV files using Windows Media Player, VLC, iTunes, Clementine, and several other popular media player applications. In some cases, the DTS audio codec is used to create DTS-WAV files using the .WAV extension. If that's what you have, try using foobar2000 to open it.
It's unlikely that the WAV file is something other than an audio file, but it's possible it was saved in a different format but still uses the WAV or WAVE extension. To check this, open the file in a free text editor to view it as a text document. If you see RIFF, then it's an audio file that needs to be opened with one of the programs listed above. If not, then the file might be corrupted.
In the undesirable case where the file is just a text document, and this happens if the text is readable and not meaningless, then any text editor can be used to open and read the WAV file.
How to convert WAV/WAVE files
WAV files are best converted to other audio formats (such as MP3, AAC, FLAC, OGG, M4A, M4B, M4R,.) using free audio conversion tools that are easily found on the internet.
If you have iTunes installed, you can convert WAV to MP3 without downloading any additional software by following these steps:
- When iTunes is open, navigate to the Edit > Preferences menu in Windows or iTunes > Preferences on a Mac.
- Click on the General tab, then select Import Settings.
- Next to the Import Using dropdown menu , select MP3 Encoder.
- Click OK a few times to exit the settings window.
- Select one or more songs you want iTunes to convert to MP3, then use the File > Convert > Create MP3 Version menu option. This will preserve the original audio file but also create a new MP3 file with the same name.
Other free file converters that support converting WAV files to other formats include FileZigZag and Zamzar. These are online converters, meaning users have to upload the file to the website, convert it, and then download it to their computer. This method is very suitable for small files.