Files with wav extension are audio files in the common PCM audio - Wave Form Audio format.
Software that open wav file
WAV file extension - WAVe PCM Sound, standard Windows sound format
What is wav file? How to open wav files?
File extension wav is traditionally used for one of the most common audio files - WAV.
Windows uses the Wave Form Audio (WAV) file format to store sounds as waveforms. One minute of Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)-encoded sound can occupy as little as 644 kilobytes (KB) or as much as 27 megabytes (MB) of storage.
This size of the storage space depends on the sampling frequency, the type of sound (mono or stereo), and the number of bits that are used for the sample.
Similar to the AVI and ASF format, WAV is only a file container. Audio content that is compressed with a wide variety of codecs and that is stored in a wav file can be played back in Windows Media Player if the appropriate codecs are installed on the computer.
The most common audio codecs that are used in wav files include Microsoft Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (MS ADPCM) and uncompressed Pulse Code Modulation (PCM).
MIME types:
application/x-wav
audio/wav
audio/x-wav
Updated: January 20, 2025
The default software associated to open wav file:
Company or developer:
Microsoft Corporation
Windows 11 default media player is called Media Player. Microsoft developed it for the latest Windows 11 operating system (OS). Media Player replaces the old Windows Media Player, Windows 10 Groove Music, and Microsoft Movies & TV. It was released to all Win11 users on February 15, 2022.
Microsoft Windows Media Player 
Company or developer:
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Windows Media Player is the default multimedia player/manager pre-installed in Microsoft Windows. WMP can manage music, videos, and pictures on a computer, play or view them, sync them with portable devices, or burn them on CD/DVD media. It also supports home media sharing with other computers. In Windows 11, you can still find it under the name Windows Media Player Legacy.
Company or developer:
Apple, Inc.
A digital media application for playing and organizing digital music and video files. Also is used to manage Apple portable devices such as iPod, iPhone and iPad. iTunes has integrated iTunes Store service, where can users buy and download digital music, videos, applications for iOS devices, audiobooks, podcasts, ringtones etc. iTunes is distributed as a free software.
List of software applications associated to the .wav file extension
Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open wav file, edit wav file, convert wav file, view wav file, play wav file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).
Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting wav files.
Software that open wav file - WAVe PCM Sound, standard Windows sound format
Programs supporting the exension wav on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open wav file action.
