WAV

Waveform Audio File Format

A standard audio file format used for storing uncompressed audio data on Windows PCs. Developed by Microsoft and IBM, WAV files are also known as WAVE files or simply Wave. The format is based on the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) and can store audio data in various formats, such as pulse-code modulation (PCM), which is the most common and retains high audio quality.

Since WAV files store audio data in an uncompressed form, they provide high audio quality but typically have larger file sizes compared to other audio formats like MP3, which use compression to reduce file size. WAV files are commonly used in professional audio production, where high-quality audio is essential, as well as for storing audio data that will be edited or manipulated, as the format allows for minimal quality loss during processing.

• Abbreviation: WAV