Broadcast WAVE 1 Generic
Partly documentedaudio · also known as BWAVE (1), BWF (1)
Broadcast WAVE is a chunk-based audio format developed by the European Broadcasting Union, and based on the Microsoft WAVE format, which is in turn based on the generic Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) specification developed by Microsoft and IBM. Structurally, a BWAVE file is composed of a number of chunks, each comprising a four character code chunk identifier, the chunk size, and the chunk data. It comprises a RIFF header with a WAVE data type identifier, followed by a series of chunks. Every file must include a Broadcast Audio Extension chunk, containing metadata required for exchange of information between broadcasters, a Format chunk, which describes the format of the audio data, and a Data chunk, containing the audio data itself. BWAVE files which contain MPEG-encoded audio data must also include a Fact chunk, containing file-dependent information about the audio data, and an MPEG Audio Extension chunk, containing extra information required to describe the MPEG encoding. A BWAVE identified as generic by DROID likely uses an encoding format unknown to PRONOM, or perhaps a structural difference, and users are encouraged to let the PRONOM team know should this occur.
Identify it
| Extensions | .wav |
|---|---|
| MIME types | audio/x-wav |
| Signatures | 52494646 at byte 0 (BWAVE Generic 1) |
| PRONOM | fmt/2 |
| Wikidata | Q27526471 |
| Library of Congress | fdd000356 |
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Open it
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Convert it
| To | With | Fidelity | Command and losses |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) 1.2.1 | FFmpeg | Lossless | ffmpeg -i in.wav out.flacLossless for decoded audio; a lossy source stays as degraded as it was. WAV may reduce bit depth or drop metadata. |
| Matroska 1-4 | FFmpeg | Lossy | ffmpeg -i in.wav out.mkvRe-encoded with lossy codecs by default; try `-c copy` to remux without re-encoding when the codecs fit the container. |
| MPEG 1/2 Audio Layer 3 | FFmpeg | Lossy | ffmpeg -i in.wav out.mp3Lossy re-encoding. |
| MPEG-4 Part 14 | FFmpeg | Lossy | ffmpeg -i in.wav out.mp4Re-encoded with lossy codecs by default; try `-c copy` to remux without re-encoding when the codecs fit the container. |
| Ogg | FFmpeg | Lossy | ffmpeg -i in.wav out.oggLossy re-encoding. |
| WebM | FFmpeg | Lossy | ffmpeg -i in.wav out.webmRe-encoded with lossy codecs by default; try `-c copy` to remux without re-encoding when the codecs fit the container. |
Documentation
Sources
From Kaitai Struct format gallery, PRONOM, Wikidata. Updated 2026-10-24.