WMA file format
| Extension | .wma |
| Category | audio |
| Programs | Microsoft Windows Media Player VLC media player MPlayer Microsoft Zune Winamp Apple QuickTime Player |
| Description | WMA, a format of audio stream coding introduced by Microsoft in 1999, has been the foundation for Windows Media. Its main purpose is to store and distribute audio content. Initially considered a viable alternative to MP3, it lost some significance with the emergence of AAC. Unlike MP3, WMA can be installed alongside other system codecs of Windows 9x.WMA is known for its good compression quality, making it suitable for many audio players, mobile devices, and Playstations. However, due to its proprietary nature, files in this format may not play back with satisfactory quality on other platforms. The latest version allows for multi-channel coding of large audio files and voice data. Additionally, advancements in technology have reduced the coding delay significantly. |
| Technical details | The term WMA is used to refer to both the file format and the codec. There are several types of the format: - WMA, which is similar to MP3; - WMA Pro, offering high-quality sound with a wide range of channels; - WMA Lossless, providing lossless compression; - WMA Voice, designed for compressing voice content into low bitrate files. According to Microsoft programmers, an audio file with a bitrate of 64 Kbit/s has comparable sound clarity to tracks from a CD. However, not all advanced users agree with this assessment. WMA files are often generated in Advanced Systems Format, which can contain both audio and video content. One limitation is the inability to support bitrates higher than 160 Kbit/s. |
| MIME type | audio/x-ms-wma |
wma converter
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