.wav
Low riskWaveform Audio File Format
The uncompressed audio container co-developed by Microsoft and IBM. A staple in music production and raw audio exchange.
MIME types
- audio/wav
- audio/x-wav
Category
audio
What opens this file
- Audacity
- Logic Pro
- Ableton Live
- Windows Media Player
- QuickTime Player
How to open by OS
Windows
- Media Player for playback, Audacity for editing.
Mac
- QuickTime or GarageBand.
Linux
- Audacity, Ardour, VLC.
Ios
- Music and Files.
Android
- VLC.
Safety notes
- Uncompressed data is harder to weaponise, but historical RIFF-chunk vulnerabilities have surfaced. Keep players current.
Common mistakes
- Emailing WAV files hits size limits quickly (~10 MB per minute). Use MP3 or AAC for distribution.
- Saving without checking bit depth and sample rate, forcing re-conversion later in the DAW.