.WAV File Extension

A WAV file is an audio file that uses a standard digital audio file format utilized for storing waveform data. It allows audio recordings to be saved with different sampling rates and bitrates and is often saved in a 44.1 KHz, 16-bit, stereo format, which is the standard format used for CD audio.

WAV is short for "Waveform Audio File Format," and is pronounced "wave." WAV files are similar to .AIF files, but they are based on the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF), rather than the Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF). WAV files are most often seen on Windows-based computers, while AIF files are more common on Macintosh systems.

File created by DTS audio programs, which are used to author stereo music and surround sound music CDs; contains audio data for multiple channels; can only be played by programs that support DTS-WAV encoding.