WAV Audio
| Format | WAV Audio |
|---|---|
| Short name | WAV |
| Category | media |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, QNX |
| Crush support | Supported (MediaParser) |
| Status | Reviewed |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-04 |
Forensic relevance
RIFF-based audio container, typically holding uncompressed PCM, used for voice recordings, call recordings, dictation devices, bodycams, and professional recorders. RIFF INFO chunks may contain title, creation date, originator, and software. The Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) extension adds a 'bext' chunk with: originator name and reference, origination date and time (YYYY-MM-DD / HH:MM:SS; time zone not defined by the specification), TimeReference (64-bit sample count since midnight — precise recording timestamp), and a CodingHistory field describing the encoding chain. No native encryption — audio is directly accessible. Standard RIFF is limited to ~4GB; larger files use RF64 extension.
Signatures
| Offset | Hex | ASCII (non-printable as .) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| offset 0 (0x0) | 52 49 46 46 | RIFF | RIFF container header |
| offset 0 (0x0) | 52 46 36 34 | RF64 | RF64 header (WAV/BWF larger than 4 GB) |
| offset 8 (0x8) | 57 41 56 45 | WAVE | WAVE subtype identifier at offset 8 |
Known extensions
.wav, .bwf
References
- EBU Tech 3285 — Broadcast Wave Format specification https://tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3285.pdf
- Broadcast Wave Format overview (Wikipedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_Wave_Format
- Library of Congress — BWF format description https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000356.shtml
- BWF MetaEdit — open source BWF metadata tool https://mediaarea.net/BWFMetaEdit
Cite this entry
Crush Format Reference, “WAV Audio”. https://kalink0.github.io/crush-forensics/formats/wav/ — source: crush/data/build_formats_db.py at commit 640a2a9928f4e36a976b89901512a8dce824d093, built 2026-10-21 06:46:19 UTC.
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