How to convert Windows Media Audio to WAV
- 1
Upload your file
Drag and drop a file or click to select one. Keep this page open while the file uploads and converts.
- 2
Convert Windows Media Audio to WAV
NexMedia converts Windows Media Audio to WAV on its own servers. Processing time depends on the file size and how busy the queue is.
- 3
Download the converted file
When the conversion finishes, the download appears on this page. Your converted file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
About Windows Media Audio
Windows Media Audio (WMA) is Microsoft's family of audio codecs, stored in the ASF container, with lossy, lossless and voice variants.
Music bought or ripped with Windows Media Player in the 2000s.
WMA files can carry DRM, and many devices outside Windows do not play WMA.
Convert Windows Media Audio to WAV online free, no account required — WAV is an uncompressed audio format.
Change Windows Media Audio to WAV without losing quality — convert Windows Media Audio to WAV free in your browser.
Why does my Android phone refuse to play WMA files? Windows Media Audio never left the Microsoft world, so players elsewhere either skip it or need a conversion to a universal format.
About WAV
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is a Microsoft and IBM container that normally stores uncompressed PCM audio.
Recording, editing and mastering, where every sample has to be kept exactly.
Uncompressed audio is large, about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo, and a classic WAV file is limited to 4 GB.
Why convert audio to WAV? For editing and mastering: uncompressed samples take further processing without new loss, and every audio program reads them.
What changes when you convert Windows Media Audio to WAV
- The audio is decoded and re-encoded as WAV at the default settings, so the result is close to the Windows Media Audio but not bit-identical.
- Windows Media Audio files can carry DRM copy protection; protected files are detected and refused, because copy protection is never removed.
- WAV output is written as 16-bit PCM, so audio with a higher bit depth, such as 24-bit, is reduced to 16 bits.
Settings you can change
Before you convert Windows Media Audio to WAV, you can adjust: Audio codec, Rate control, Audio bitrate, Quality (VBR), Sample rate, Channels, Normalize loudness, Trim start, Trim duration, and Keep tags.
Limits
Each plan sets a maximum file size and a number of conversions per day, and video and audio files also have a maximum length. Guests can convert files up to 100 megabytes and 5 per day; a free account raises this to 500 megabytes and 25 per day; paid plans go up to 100 gigabytes.
Your converted WAV file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
Windows Media Audio to WAV: questions and answers
Does converting Windows Media Audio to WAV reduce quality?
The audio is decoded and re-encoded as WAV at the default settings, so the result is close to the Windows Media Audio but not bit-identical. WAV output is written as 16-bit PCM, so audio with a higher bit depth, such as 24-bit, is reduced to 16 bits.
What is the difference between Windows Media Audio and WAV?
Windows Media Audio is Microsoft's Windows Media audio format. WAV is an uncompressed audio format.
Can I change the settings when converting Windows Media Audio to WAV?
Before you convert Windows Media Audio to WAV, you can adjust: Audio codec, Rate control, Audio bitrate, Quality (VBR), Sample rate, Channels, Normalize loudness, Trim start, Trim duration, and Keep tags.
Do I need an account to convert Windows Media Audio to WAV?
No. You can convert Windows Media Audio to WAV without an account; signing in raises the file-size and daily limits.
How long is my converted WAV file kept?
The WAV file you convert from Windows Media Audio is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
Will my WAV keep the 24-bit sound of my Windows Media Audio?
WAV output is written as 16-bit PCM, so audio with a higher bit depth, such as 24-bit, is reduced to 16 bits.
What happens if my Windows Media Audio file is copy-protected?
Windows Media Audio files can carry DRM copy protection; protected files are detected and refused, because copy protection is never removed.