.wav File Extension

What kind of file is a .wav?

A .wav file is usually a WAVE audio container. WAVE was designed by Microsoft and IBM as an audio form of RIFF, the Resource Interchange File Format. It commonly stores uncompressed linear PCM samples, but it can also contain ADPCM, A-law, mu-law, MP3, and other audio encodings.¹

The usual media type in Poly is audio/x-wav. Other systems may label the same kind of file audio/wav, audio/wave, or audio/x-pn-wav. The extension alone does not identify the codec inside.

A conventional file starts with RIFF, followed by a size field, then WAVE at byte 8. Checking both identifiers distinguishes it from AVI and other RIFF-based formats. A decoder should also validate the fmt and data chunks rather than trusting the name.²

How do I open a .wav on my computer?

Common PCM WAV files open without extra software on current desktop and mobile systems:

• On Windows, use Windows Media Player, Media Player, or a compatible browser.
• On macOS, use Music, QuickTime Player, or an editor such as Audacity.
• On Linux, VLC, Audacity, and many desktop media players work well.
• On iPhone, iPad, and Android, the standard file or media apps can play common WAV audio.

Mainstream browsers support LPCM in WAVE, but support for less common codecs inside the container is sparse.³ If a file does not play, inspect its codec with a maintained tool such as FFmpeg. A damaged chunk length or truncated audio payload can also prevent decoding.

Poly support for .wav

Poly recognizes .wav as audio and provides an in-app player with a waveform for compatible files. It extracts available duration and tags, creates audio-similarity data, and transcribes intelligible speech. Transcript matches can take you to the relevant moment in the recording.

The Poly agent can use supported WAV audio and its transcript. Results depend on the recording: speech must be clear enough to transcribe, while music and sound effects may be more useful through filename, metadata, and audio-similarity search. An unusual codec can also limit playback or analysis even though the outer file is valid WAVE.

History of .wav

Microsoft and IBM documented WAVE in 1991 as part of RIFF for Windows multimedia.¹ Its chunk structure made it flexible enough for sound effects, recordings, editing masters, scientific data, and professional audio.

Later profiles extended that foundation. Broadcast Wave adds production metadata while remaining RIFF/WAVE, and RF64 supports files beyond classic RIFF's roughly 4 GB size ceiling.⁴ The Library of Congress lists WAVE with embedded Broadcast Wave metadata among its preferred digital-audio choices.⁵

Working with .wav and alternatives

Uncompressed PCM size is predictable. Stereo 44.1 kHz, 16-bit audio uses about 10.6 MB per minute before small container overhead. Stereo 96 kHz, 24-bit audio uses about 34.6 MB per minute. Higher settings do not recover detail missing from the source.

Choose an alternative based on the job:

• FLAC for lossless compression of PCM audio.
• MP3, AAC, or Opus for smaller delivery files where lossy compression is acceptable.
• AIFF when an Apple-oriented production workflow expects that container.
• Broadcast WAVE or RF64 when production metadata, multichannel audio, or very large recordings matter.

Keep the original when exact samples, specialized chunks, or provenance matter. Conversion to a lossy format discards information, and converting that result back to WAV only makes a larger file.