Open WAV files

  • Full name
    WAVe PCM Sound, Standard Windows Sound Format
  • Developer
    Microsoft
  • Popularity
Have you encountered a problem with a WAV file? Don’t you know which program opens a file with this extension? You will find all the information you need about working with a WAV file here. In the further part of this page we have added a list of programs that should open your WAV file. It is enough you choose a proper application for your operating system, download and install it.

What is WAV file?

The WAV format is the standard format for digital audio in addition to MP3,

More info

especially on Windows platforms. The Waveform Audio File Format, WAV for short,

is a so-called container format and can with different audio data

Compression types are stored. So a WAV file can be uncompressed

PCM raw data, as contained on the CD, but also compressed audio data, such as ADPCM or MP3.

WAV supports various sample rates (also sampling rate), bit rates and channel numbers. Depending on the selected compression method, sample rates of 8 KHz - 192 KHz and bit rates up to 1411 Kb / s (uncompressed PCM) are possible. By default, mono and stereo are possible with WAV. WAV's ability to support DTS data can also include up to 6 channels. But to be able to play DTS-Wav, you need additional codecs, for example ffdshow.

Most playback programs can read and play WAV files without any problems as long as the audio data is available in PCM or ADPCM. But even MP3 brings so many players in trouble, as they necessarily expect the extension mp3. Often, however, a change of the ending in mp3 is enough.

Since the WAV format is a standard format under Windows, you can play on this operating system WAV files encoded with PCM or ADPCM with virtually any music or video player program such as Winamp, VLC or Windows Media Player. Also for audio and video editors (eg Audactiy, Goldwave) the WAV format is no problem.

In general, almost any program that processes audio files in any way, for example, CD-burning programs such as Nero or CDBurnerXP, WAV files import.

For WAV files with differently encoded data, it depends on the program and the codecs installed.

Programs which can open a WAV file

How to open file with WAV extension?

In order to open a file with WAV extension one of the following programs must be installed on user’s system. If a problem with opening WAV file occurred, it is highly possible that none of the listed programs is present on user’s system. Even if one or more said programs are installed, there may be issues related with given programs. In order to solve a problem with WAV files, follow the instructions below.
1
Install iTunes or other program from the list

Most often resolving problems with opening WAV files is very simple. Just install an appropriate program that supports such files. All of the listed programs support WAV files, but may vary in offered function and purpose. Some programs may be capable only of viewing contents of WAV files or offer file conversion options, but may not be capable of editing such files.

Set iTunes as the default program for opening WAV files

It is possible that although a compatible program has been installed on user’s system, it is not used by the system to open it. This may happen because no default application was associated with this type of files. To associate WAV files with given application, select "Open with" from drop-down menu (accessed by right-clicking on the file). Then select from the list the program or application you want to be used to open this type of file. If the iTunes applications is not on the list, select "Browse" option in order to manually locate the directory where iTunes has been installed.

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Check the section that lists most common problems with WAV files

Sometimes problems with opening WAV files may not lie with the application itself, but can arise due to other causes, such as:

  • File data is corrupted
  • WAV files has been not been completely download from the internet (only a part of the data has been downloaded)
  • Currently used user account hasn’t been granted necessary privileges to open WAV files (should that be the case, please contact your system administrator or IT specialist)
  • WAV file was being copied from a corrupted storage device and is incomplete or data is corrupted. (Copying files from unknown or untrusted sources should be conducted with great care as such files may contain malicious software, which can damage your system)

Possible conversions of WAV file

Similar extensions