# What is a WAV file?

WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is an audio container often used for uncompressed, high-fidelity audio.

Canonical URL: https://www.subclip.app/faq/what-is-a-wav-file

Last modified: 2026-04-17T00:00:00+00:00

**Definition**
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is a RIFF-based audio container commonly used with uncompressed PCM audio.

**Who made it and why**
Microsoft and IBM introduced WAV around 1991 as a dependable high-quality audio interchange format for desktop multimedia.

**Why WAV is used in production**
- Predictable high fidelity
- Strong DAW/editor interoperability
- Preferred handoff format for mastering/archive

**Use it in Subclip**
Import WAV in [Subclip Home Player](https://subclip.app/home), transcribe with [Transcript Generator](/tools/transcript-generator), and convert in [Convert Video Format](/tools/convert-video-format).

**History and adoption**
WAV became a recording and broadcast default because reliability and quality mattered more than compact file size.

**TL;DR**
WAV is a dependable high-quality audio workhorse format.

**Related converters**
[MP3 to WAV](/tools/convert-video-format/mp3-to-wav), [M4A to WAV](/tools/convert-video-format/m4a-to-wav), [M4V to WAV](/tools/convert-video-format/m4v-to-wav), [MP4 to WAV](/tools/convert-video-format/mp4-to-wav).

**Related FAQs**
[How do I open a WAV file?](/faq/how-to-open-a-wav-file), [What is an MP3 file?](/faq/what-is-an-mp3-file), [How do I open an MP3 file?](/faq/how-to-open-an-mp3-file).

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