The Waveform Audio File Format (WAV, or less commonly WAVE due to MS-DOS 8.3 file name limits) is a widely used audio file format standard, developed by Microsoft and IBM. It's primarily used for storing uncompressed audio data, making it a popular choice for high-quality audio recordings and editing. WAV files typically contain raw, uncompressed audio samples, which means they preserve the full fidelity of the original sound. This makes them ideal for professional audio production, archiving, and applications where audio quality is paramount. However, the lack of compression results in relatively large file sizes compared to compressed audio formats like MP3 or AAC. WAV files can also store compressed audio using various codecs, but the uncompressed format is the most common and characteristic use case. The format supports various bit depths (e.g., 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit) and sample rates, allowing for flexibility in audio quality and file size. WAV files are based on the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF), a generic container format for storing multimedia data. The RIFF structure allows WAV files to contain metadata, such as artist information, track titles, and other relevant details. Because of its widespread support and uncompressed nature, WAV remains a cornerstone of digital audio workflows.