WAV (or WAVE), short for Waveform audio format, is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing audio on PCs. It is a variant of the RIFF bitstream format method for storing data in "chunks", and thus also close to the IFF and the AIFF format used on Macintosh computers. Both WAVs and AIFFs are compatible with Windows and Macintosh operating systems. It takes into account some differences of the Intel CPU such as little-endian byte order. The RIFF format acts as a "wrapper" for various audio compression codecs. It is the main format used on Windows systems for raw audio.

Though a WAV file can hold compressed audio, the most common WAV format contains uncompressed audio in the pulse-code modulation (PCM) format. PCM audio is the standard audio file format for CDs at 44,100 samples per second. Since PCM uses an uncompressed, lossless storage method, which keeps all the samples of an audio track, professional users or audio experts may use the WAV format for maximum audio quality. WAV audio can also be edited and manipulated with relative ease using software.

Popularity

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As file sharing over the Internet has become popular, the WAV format has declined in popularity, primarily because uncompressed WAV files are quite large in size. More frequently, compressed but lossy formats such as MP3, Ogg Vorbis and AAC are used to store and transfer audio, since their smaller file sizes allow for faster transmission over the internet as well as lower disk space consumption. There are also more efficient lossless codecs available, such as Monkey's Audio, TTA, WavPack, FLAC, Shorten, Apple Lossless and WMA Lossless.

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NYT > Music

Music Review | Cubic Zirconia: Late at Night and Hard at Work
By JON CARAMANICA Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:52:31 -0000
Cubic Zirconia played a ragged but charming release party for its debut single, “Funk Work” (The Savant Guard) on Thursday night at Santos Party House.
Arts, Briefly: Algerian Singer Sentenced to Jail in France
Compiled by BEN SISARIO Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:50:20 -0000
A French court on Friday sentenced the Algerian singer Cheb Mami to five years in jail for abducting a former lover and trying to force her to have an abortion.
Arts, Briefly: Strong Sales Continue for Jackson Albums
Compiled by BEN SISARIO Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:49:59 -0000
Michael Jackson’s run on the charts is not over.

NPR Topics: Music

Johnny Cash's 'Big River'
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:45:00 -0400
Classical violinist Mark O'Connor's boyhood hero was a country musician. O'Connor says that he'd spend hours on end learning the songs of Johnny Cash — and to this day, his great passion is the tune "Big River."
Poetic License Raises A Star-Spangled Debate
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:51:00 -0400
Rene Marie grew up in the segregated South, and has become one of the few jazz singers today whose talent and devotion to social issues have both won her attention. Case in point: her personal take on the national anthem.
Guitarist Julian Lage On Piano Jazz
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:09:00 -0400
Guitarist Julian Lage is a true jazz prodigy. Discovered by Gary Burton when he was just 12 years old, Lage has since played with Herbie Hancock, Joe Lovano and Carlos Santana. Lage shows off his amazing technique and improvisatory abilities on "My Funny Valentine" before teaming with McPartland on "You and the Night and the Music."

Rolling Stone: Features

"Play" 10 Years Later: Moby's Track by Track Guide to 1999's Global Smash
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:32:40 -0700
How scratchy field recordings, Gwen Stefani and a Leonardo DiCaprio flick transformed him from a "has-been" into an international star When Play was released, I kind of thought my career was over," says Moby. He's speaking from the sparse, utilitarian Manhattan studio where he recorded the 1999 smash in the years before the walls were dotted with awards documenting its 10 million copies sold. Play wasn't the first album to make a rock star out of an insular techno nerdnik, but it was the first to make one a pop sensation. An effortless blend of atmospheric swoops, block-rocking beats and bluesy a cappellas nicked from...
Michael Jackson: The Essential Playlist
Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:05:16 -0700
Look back at the King of Pop's remarkable career in Rolling Stone's archives. Check out photos, cover stories, album reviews and more at our Michael Jackson hub. Culling a playlist from an artist as estimable and...
"Not Like Other Guys": Rob Sheffield Remembers Michael Jackson
Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:23:44 -0700
Look back at the King of Pop's remarkable career in Rolling Stone's archives. Check out photos, cover stories, album reviews and more at our Michael Jackson hub. The night Michael Jackson died: a street corner in...

News @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

Foo Fighters Head To DC To Rock White House Fourth Of July Bash
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:35:33 -0400
The Foo Fighters will take a short break from their extended hiatus when they play a very special Fourth of July party this Saturday at the White House.
Deep Purple Ordered To Pay Royalty To Themselves
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:31:11 -0400
A Russian court has fined Deep Purple for "illegally" performing their own songs.
Jason Newsted: 'I Don't Think It's Proper For Sepultura To Go On Without The Cavaleras'
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:27:12 -0400
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted believes that it's not "proper" for the band to carry on without either of the founding Cavalera brothers.

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