A file with the .WAV or .WAVE file extension is a Waveform Audio file. This is a standard audio format seen mainly on Windows computers. WAV files are usually uncompressed but compression is supported.
Uncompressed WAV files are larger than other popular audio formats, like MP3, so they're typically not used as the preferred audio format when sharing music files online or buying music, but instead for things like audio editing software, operating system functions, and video games.
WAV is an extension of the bitstream format Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) which you can read a lot more about at soundfile.sapp.org. WAV is similar to AIFF and 8SVX files, both of which are more commonly seen on Mac operating systems.
How to Open a WAV/WAVE File
Newcastle night club to host Filthy Comedy Bingo and it sounds wild! Chronicle Live - 12:25 PM GMT January 23, 2019. Image source: chroniclelive.co.uk. The Newcastle club is gearing up to host Filthy Comedy Bingo with the first night in a few months time Full story on chroniclelive.co.uk.
WAV files can be opened with Windows Media Player, VLC, iTunes, QuickTime, Microsoft Groove Music, Winamp, Clementine, XMMS, and very likely some other popular media player applications as well.
It's highly unlikely that your .WAV or .WAVE file is something other than an audio file, but it's possible that it could be saved in a different format but with one of those file extensions. To test this, open the WAV or WAVE file in a free text editor to view it as a text document.
If the first entry you see is 'RIFF,' then your WAV/WAVE file is an audio file that should open with one of those programs listed above. If it doesn't, then your particular file may be corrupt (try downloading or copying it again). If the text reads something else, or you know for sure it's not an audio file, one thing you can do is try to look for another word or phrase in the file that might help start your search for what type of file it might be.
In the highly unlikely situation where your WAV file is just a text document, which would be the case if the text is readable and not gibberish, then any text editor can be used to open and read the file.
Considering all number of audio player programs out there, and that it's very likely you have more than one installed right now, you may find that one program automatically opens WAV and WAVE files when you actually would prefer a different do it. If that's true, see our How to Change File Associations in Windows tutorial for help doing that.
How to Convert a WAV/WAVE File
WAV files are best converted to other audio formats (like MP3, AAC, FLAC, OGG, M4A, M4B, M4R, etc.) with one of these Free Audio Converter Software Programs.
If you have iTunes installed, you can convert WAV to MP3 without having to download any extra software. Here's how:
With iTunes open, navigate to the Edit > Preferences menu in Windows, or iTunes > Preferences on a Mac.
With the General tab selected, click or tap the Import Settings button.
Next to the Import Using drop down menu, choose MP3 Encoder.
Click OK a couple times to exit the settings windows.
Select one or more songs that you want iTunes to convert to MP3, and then use File > Convert > Create MP3 Version menu option. This will keep the original audio file but also make a new MP3 with the same name.
Some other free file converters that support converting a WAV file to another format are FileZigZag and Zamzar. These are online converters, which means you have to upload the WAV file to the website, have it converted, and then download it back to your computer. This method is great for smaller WAV files.
Wav Files Free
More Information on WAV & WAVE Files
This file format can not hold files that exceed 4 GB in size, and some software programs may even restrict this further, to 2 GB.
Some WAV files are actually used to store non-audio data, such as signal forms called waveforms.
Still Can't Open the File?
If your file isn't opening after using the programs from above, there's a really good chance that you're misreading the file extension.
It can be easy to confuse one file extension for another if they're spelled similarly, which means that even though they might look related, they could be in two entirely different file formats that require different file openers.
WVE is one example of a file extension that resembles WAVE and WAV, but it's not an audio file at all. WVE files are Wondershare Filmora Project files that open with the Wondershare Filmora video editing program. Others might be WaveEditor Project files used with CyberLink Media Suite.
If it's not really a WAV or WAVE file that you have, research the actual file extension to learn which programs can open or convert it.
Random sound of the day
- Currently /5 Stars.
The sound of a television running in a living room in the background. Perfect for household ambiance.
March 25th, 2015
4170 downloads
9 comments
Freesound Blog
Community update July 2019
July 25th, 2019Hi everyone! Summer is here and here we are with some news about latest Freesound developments. This time we have released changes in Freesound which have a very big impact on the performance of the site and also some important … Continue reading → Read Full Entry
Freesound goes Eurorack Hardware with CTAG Strämpler
June 18th, 2019[Guest blog post by Robert Manzke alias rma31] Hi, my name is Robert, some 6 years back I have founded the academic working group “Creative Technologies AG” (CTAG) at Kiel University of Applied Sciences in Germany. In the domain of … Continue reading → Read Full Entry
Community update May 2019
May 30th, 2019Hi everyone! It’s been some time since the last community update, but we’ve kept you busy with other kinds of very interesting blog posts so you’ll hopefully have not noticed 🙂 Anyway, here is a summary of the latest updates … Continue reading → Read Full Entry
Out of the ordinary Freesound usage
April 24th, 2019Hi Freesounder! The Music Technology Group is the research institute based in Barcelona, Spain, that has created, maintains and keeps supporting Freesound for now over 10 years. MTG is turning 25 this year and we will be presenting Freesound as … Continue reading → Read Full Entry
Sustainability Report 2018
February 12th, 2019Dear Freesounders, Remember when we discussed about the future sustainability of Freesound almost two years back? We mentioned back then that we would keep you updated about the status of the sustainability of Freesound, including general information about the donations … Continue reading → Read Full Entry
Recent Additions
- Currently /5 Stars.
This is a field recording of a late night ambience in a suburban area in India. A variety of insects, ...
Night Club Wav Files
August 27th, 2019
1 download
0 comments
- Currently /5 Stars.
Created using my Eurorack system and formatted for use with the Make Noise Morphagene. Remember to rename the files 'mg1.wav', ...
August 24th, 2019
1 download
0 comments
- Currently /5 Stars.
August 26th, 2019
2 downloads
0 comments
- Currently /5 Stars.
My hand got really tired creating this sound! I was spraying a homemade poison ivy killer on some tenacious PI. ...
Free Sound Wav Files
August 26th, 2019
1 download
0 comments
Night Club Wav Files Download
- Currently /5 Stars.
Added guitar strumming to drum and bass of Kitchen Boogie loop.
Wav File Download
August 26th, 2019
1 download
0 comments