WAV File Specification | Broadcast Format Guidelines
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WAVE FILE SPECIFICATIONS
The following information identifies various levels of quality for WAVE audio files.
Basic:
- uncompressed .WAV
- Plain text file or spreadsheet with metadata (information about the recording):
- performer(s) or content creator
- title (if applicable)
- description of subject matter
- date of event/performance
Intermediate (CD quality):
- uncompressed .WAV
- 16 bit PCM (Pulse Code Modulated) encoding
- Recorded at 44.1 kHz
- Plain text file or spreadsheet with metadata (information about the recording):
- performer(s) or content creator
- title (if applicable)
- description of subject matter
- date of event/performance
Advanced (archival quality):
- uncompressed .WAV
- 24 bit PCM (Pulse Code Modulated) encoding
- Recorded at 96 kHz
- Plain text file or spreadsheet with metadata (information about the recording):
- performer(s) or content creator
- title (if applicable)
- description of subject matter
- date of event/performance
Advanced++: Broadcast Wave Format (BWF):
- CD or archival quality .WAV file
- Metadata written to the Broadcast Audio Extension (or “BEXT“) chunk of the .WAV file header (instead of or in addition to the text file/spreadsheet)