{
 "id": "waveform-audio-waveformatex",
 "name": "Waveform Audio (WAVEFORMATEX)",
 "category": "audio",
 "identifiers": {
  "extensions": [
   "wav",
   "wave"
  ],
  "mime": [
   "audio/x-wav"
  ],
  "puid": [
   "fmt/142"
  ],
  "wikidata": [
   "Q61707565"
  ],
  "magic": [
   {
    "offset": 0,
    "hex": "52494646",
    "notes": "Waveform Audio (WAVEFORMATEX)"
   }
  ],
  "signatures": [
   {
    "name": "Waveform Audio (WAVEFORMATEX)",
    "sequences": [
     {
      "position": "bof",
      "offset": 0,
      "pattern": "52494646{4}57415645666d7420[!10]{21-*}64617461"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "priority_over": [
   "fmt/6"
  ]
 },
 "status": "partial",
 "summary": "Waveform Audio (WAVEFORMATEX) is an extended version of the Waveform Audio file format, and was developed by Microsoft. It has superseded the Waveform Audio (PCMWAVEFORMAT).",
 "projects": [
  {
   "name": "Kaitai Struct: wav",
   "url": "https://formats.kaitai.io/wav/",
   "kind": "grammar",
   "license": "BSD-3-Clause-Attribution"
  },
  {
   "name": "PRONOM fmt/142",
   "url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/PRONOM/fmt/142",
   "kind": "format-doc"
  },
  {
   "name": "Wikidata Q61707565",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q61707565",
   "kind": "wiki"
  }
 ],
 "provenance": {
  "sources": [
   "kaitai",
   "pronom",
   "wikidata"
  ]
 },
 "updated": "2026-10-24",
 "parsers": [
  {
   "engine": "kaitai",
   "url": "https://github.com/kaitai-io/kaitai_struct_formats/blob/master/media/wav.ksy",
   "license": "BSD-3-Clause-Attribution"
  }
 ],
 "aliases": [],
 "structure": [],
 "tools": [
  {
   "name": "FFmpeg",
   "url": "https://ffmpeg.org",
   "license": "LGPL-2.1-or-later / GPL-2.0-or-later",
   "open_source": true,
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "A Better CD Encoder",
   "url": "https://abcde.einval.com/wiki/",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "Artistic License 1.0 / GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Ableton Live",
   "url": "https://www.ableton.com/live",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "ACDSee",
   "url": "https://www.acdsee.com",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Adobe After Effects",
   "url": "https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Adobe Premiere 6.0",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114269979",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Adobe Premiere Pro",
   "url": "http://adobe.com/products/premiere",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "AgfaPhoto DC-833m",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28519408",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Android",
   "url": "https://android.com",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "Apache Software License 2.0 / GNU General Public License, version 2.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Apache Tika",
   "url": "https://tika.apache.org",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "Apache Software License 2.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Ardour",
   "url": "https://ardour.org/",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "aTube Catcher",
   "url": "https://www.atube.me/",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Audify Music Player",
   "url": "https://audifyplayer.com/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Awave Studio",
   "url": "https://www.fmjsoft.com/awavestudio.html#main",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "CoffeeCup Software",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109284794",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Daemon Tools",
   "url": "https://www.daemon-tools.cc",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "shareware",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "DIGIBooster Pro",
   "url": "http://digibooster.eu/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "DirectMusic",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3495959",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "ExifTool",
   "url": "https://exiftool.org/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "Artistic License / GNU General Public License, version 1.0 or later",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Final Cut Pro X",
   "url": "https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "FL Studio",
   "url": "https://www.image-line.com/flstudio",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "proprietary license / shareware",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "FlexPro",
   "url": "http://www.weisang.com/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Free Lossless Audio Codec",
   "url": "https://xiph.org/flac",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "3-clause BSD License / GNU General Public License, version 2.0 / GNU Library General Public License, version 2.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Freemake Video Converter",
   "url": "http://www.freemake.com/free_video_converter/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "freeware",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "GarageBand",
   "url": "https://www.apple.com/ios/garageband/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Godot",
   "url": "https://godotengine.org/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "MIT License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "GoldWave",
   "url": "http://www.goldwave.com/",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "shareware",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "IrfanView",
   "url": "https://www.irfanview.com/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "freeware",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Jeskola Buzz",
   "url": "http://jeskola.net/buzz/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "freeware",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "JHOVE",
   "url": "http://jhove.openpreservation.org",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU Lesser General Public License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Kid3",
   "url": "https://kid3.kde.org/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU General Public License / GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "L3enc",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1797811",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "libsndfile",
   "url": "https://libsndfile.github.io/libsndfile/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "GNU Lesser General Public License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Mathematica",
   "url": "https://www.wolfram.com/mathematica/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Media Player",
   "url": "http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Media Player (Windows 11)",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109616196",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Microsoft PowerPoint 2011",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28018630",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Microsoft PowerPoint 2013",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28018622",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Microsoft PowerPoint 2016",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28018608",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Mp3tag",
   "url": "https://www.mp3tag.de/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "free license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Music on Console",
   "url": "http://moc.daper.net/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU General Public License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "mutagen",
   "url": "https://mutagen.readthedocs.io/en/latest/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU General Public License, version 2.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Nero Wave Editor",
   "url": "http://www.nero.com",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Nulloy",
   "url": "https://nulloy.com",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU General Public License, version 3.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "NVivo",
   "url": "https://lumivero.com/products/nvivo/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "OpenPuff",
   "url": "https://embeddedsw.net/OpenPuff_Steganography_Home.html",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU Lesser General Public License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Photorecovery",
   "url": "https://lc-tech.com/help/PhotoRecovery/English/index.html",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Praat",
   "url": "https://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Q117725",
   "url": "https://picard.musicbrainz.org",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU General Public License, version 2.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Q139816213",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139816213",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Q141647665",
   "url": "https://getartcraft.com/apps/effectcraft",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "Apache Software License 2.0 / MIT License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Q141674392",
   "url": "https://getartcraft.com/apps/soundcraft",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "Apache Software License 2.0 / MIT License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Q1849222",
   "url": "https://openmpt.org/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "BSD licenses",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Q191782",
   "url": "https://www.audacityteam.org/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "GNU General Public License, version 3.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Q20474100",
   "url": "https://www.openra.net",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU General Public License, version 3.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Q240192",
   "url": "https://musescore.org",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "GNU General Public License, version 3.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Q300915",
   "url": "https://www.foobar2000.org/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "freeware",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Quick Look",
   "url": "http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#quicklook",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Roland FP-7",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125807539",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Roland FP-90X",
   "url": "https://www.roland.com/global/products/fp-90x/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Screencam",
   "url": "http://www.smartguyz.com",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "sigrok",
   "url": "https://sigrok.org",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU General Public License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "SongRec",
   "url": "https://songrec.fossplant.re/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU General Public License, version 3.0",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Sound Forge",
   "url": "https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/sound-forge/",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Sound Forge XP 3.0",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116619109",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Sound Forge XP Studio",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113292059",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "SoX",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3487229",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "GNU General Public License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Spleeter",
   "url": "https://research.deezer.com/projects/spleeter.html",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "MIT License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Strawberry",
   "url": "https://www.strawberrymusicplayer.org/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "The Freesound Project",
   "url": "http://www.freesound.org/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported / Creative Commons CC0 License",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "thousand tunes player",
   "url": "http://music.taihe.com/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "UTAU",
   "url": "http://utau2008.web.fc2.com",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "proprietary license",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "VLC media player",
   "url": "https://www.videolan.org/vlc/",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "license": "GNU Lesser General Public License, version 2.1 or later",
   "open_source": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "WaveLab",
   "url": "https://new.steinberg.net/de/wavelab",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "license": "end-user license agreement",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "WebPlus Essentials",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109625259",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Windows Media Player, version 10",
   "url": "http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/10/default.aspx",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Windows Media Player, version 11",
   "url": "http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Windows Media Player, version 12",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28018460",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Windows Media Player, version 6.4",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139790984",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Windows Media Player, version 7",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139792281",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Windows Media Player, version 8",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139792269",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Windows Media Player, version 9",
   "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28018572",
   "reads": true,
   "writes": false,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "name": "Zoom H6 Handy Recorder",
   "url": "https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/h6-handy-recorder",
   "reads": false,
   "writes": true,
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  }
 ],
 "conversions": [
  {
   "to": "flac-free-lossless-audio-codec-1-2-1",
   "tool": "FFmpeg",
   "command": "ffmpeg -i in.wav out.flac",
   "fidelity": "lossless",
   "losses": "Lossless for decoded audio; a lossy source stays as degraded as it was. WAV may reduce bit depth or drop metadata.",
   "url": "https://ffmpeg.org",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "to": "mpeg-1-2-audio-layer-3",
   "tool": "FFmpeg",
   "command": "ffmpeg -i in.wav out.mp3",
   "fidelity": "lossy",
   "losses": "Lossy re-encoding.",
   "url": "https://ffmpeg.org",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "to": "ogg",
   "tool": "FFmpeg",
   "command": "ffmpeg -i in.wav out.ogg",
   "fidelity": "lossy",
   "losses": "Lossy re-encoding.",
   "url": "https://ffmpeg.org",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "to": "mpeg-4-part-14",
   "tool": "FFmpeg",
   "command": "ffmpeg -i in.wav out.mp4",
   "fidelity": "lossy",
   "losses": "Re-encoded with lossy codecs by default; try `-c copy` to remux without re-encoding when the codecs fit the container.",
   "url": "https://ffmpeg.org",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "to": "matroska-1-4",
   "tool": "FFmpeg",
   "command": "ffmpeg -i in.wav out.mkv",
   "fidelity": "lossy",
   "losses": "Re-encoded with lossy codecs by default; try `-c copy` to remux without re-encoding when the codecs fit the container.",
   "url": "https://ffmpeg.org",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  },
  {
   "to": "webm",
   "tool": "FFmpeg",
   "command": "ffmpeg -i in.wav out.webm",
   "fidelity": "lossy",
   "losses": "Re-encoded with lossy codecs by default; try `-c copy` to remux without re-encoding when the codecs fit the container.",
   "url": "https://ffmpeg.org",
   "via": "waveform-audio"
  }
 ],
 "samples": [],
 "claims": [],
 "verification": [],
 "family": "waveform-audio"
}