WAV file format
WAV is uncompressed audio: every sample stored exactly as recorded. It is the working format of studios and the safe input for any editor or DAW.
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What is WAV?
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) was defined by Microsoft and IBM in 1991 as part of the RIFF container family. Inside a WAV file is almost always raw PCM — a straight numeric record of the sound wave, taken 44,100 times per second at 16 bits for CD quality. There is no encoder deciding what to keep, which is exactly why professionals record and edit in it.
The price is size. Stereo CD-quality audio costs about 10 MB per minute, so an album runs to half a gigabyte and an hour-long interview to 600 MB. WAV also inherits a 32-bit size field from RIFF, which caps a single file at 4 GB — roughly six and a half hours of CD-quality stereo, a limit long recordings genuinely hit.
WAV carries no standardised tagging system. Artist names, album art and track numbers have no reliable home in the format, so music libraries built on WAV tend to look empty. Keep WAV for recording, editing and mastering; convert to FLAC for lossless storage with tags, or to MP3 and AAC for distribution.
| Extension | .wav |
|---|---|
| Category | Audio |
| MIME type | audio/wav |
| Released | 1991 |
| Developed by | Microsoft, IBM |
| Compression | None (uncompressed) |
WAV: frequently asked questions
- Why are WAV files so large?
- Because nothing is compressed. Every sample of the waveform is written out in full: about 10 MB per minute for CD-quality stereo. An MP3 of the same audio is roughly ten times smaller because its encoder discards what the ear is unlikely to notice.
- Does converting MP3 to WAV improve the sound?
- No. WAV preserves whatever it is given with perfect fidelity, including the damage an MP3 encoder already did. You get a file ten times bigger that sounds identical. The conversion is only worth doing when software demands an uncompressed input.
- What sample rate and bit depth should I use?
- 44.1 kHz at 16-bit is CD standard and fine for finished audio. Record at 48 kHz and 24-bit if the material will be edited: the extra headroom means level mistakes and processing do not immediately cost you quality. Higher than 96 kHz brings no audible benefit.
- Why does my WAV file stop at 4 GB?
- The RIFF container stores the data size in a 32-bit field, which cannot express more than 4 GB. That is about six and a half hours of CD-quality stereo. Long recordings need a format built for it, such as RF64, W64 or simply FLAC.
- Can a WAV file hold album art and tags?
- Not reliably. WAV has no standard metadata scheme, so different programs write tags in incompatible ways or ignore them completely. If you want a lossless file that keeps artist, album and cover art intact, use FLAC instead.
- WAV or FLAC for storing my music?
- FLAC, in almost every case. It is mathematically lossless, so the audio is bit-for-bit identical to the WAV, but it takes 40-50% less space and supports proper tags and cover art. Keep WAV only where a specific tool refuses anything else.