WAV
Technology & Computing abbreviation · File Format
| Stands for | Waveform Audio File Format |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
WAV stands for Waveform Audio File Format, a file format abbreviation.
Microsoft and IBM audio format that usually stores uncompressed PCM audio, preserving full quality at the cost of large files: CD-quality stereo uses about 10 MB per minute. It is a standard for recording studios, sound effects and broadcast.
Example: The mastering engineer wants 24-bit WAV files, not MP3s.
Usage notes
WAV appeared in 1991 and is built on the RIFF container; the variant Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) adds timecode and production metadata. A 32-bit size field limits standard WAV files to 4 GB, which long multitrack recordings can exceed, so RF64 extends it. WAV can technically hold compressed audio, but almost never does. Pronounced "wave" or "wav".
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