What is MIME type "audio/wave"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

audio/wave is a MIME type that tells software a file holds digital audio data in the Waveform Audio format. It often carries uncompressed audio in a standard RIFF container.

Files marked as WAV or WAVE use this type. It guides programs like media players and editors to process sound correctly.

Main use case: Delivering high-quality, often uncompressed, audio data for reliable playback and editing.
Additional uses: Handling sound in recording software, digital media, and streaming applications.
Key fact: The MIME type ensures proper communication between servers and clients across the web.

For more details on MIME types, see MDN documentation.

Understanding audio/wave helps in troubleshooting media issues and confirming software compatibility with raw audio files.

Associated file extensions

.wav, .wave

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:


    Content-Type: audio/wave

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:


    <a href="file.dat" type="audio/wave">Download file</a>

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:


    const http = require('http');    
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {    
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'audio/wave');    
      res.end('Content here');    
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.wav, .wave

FAQs

Is audio/wave the standard MIME type for WAV files?

While audio/wave is widely accepted, the official IANA standard registration is actually audio/wav. However, browsers and servers generally treat audio/wave, audio/wav, and audio/x-wav interchangeably when handling WAV files.

How do I configure Apache to serve files as audio/wave?

You can add the MIME type mapping in your .htaccess file or main configuration. Add the line AddType audio/wave .wav to ensure the server sends the correct header for files ending in .wav.

Why shouldn't I use audio/wave for web streaming?

Files served as audio/wave usually contain uncompressed PCM audio, resulting in very large file sizes. For web streaming, it is much more bandwidth-efficient to use compressed formats like audio/mpeg (MP3) or audio/ogg.

What is the difference between audio/wave and audio/x-wav?

The x- prefix indicates an experimental or non-standard type used before the format was officially registered. Modern browsers support both audio/wave and audio/x-wav for backward compatibility, but they point to the same WAVE file format.

Can I use audio/wave with the HTML5 <audio> tag?

Yes, the HTML5 <audio> element supports WAV playback in all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). You can set the type attribute to audio/wave or audio/wav within the source tag: <source src="sound.wav" type="audio/wave">.

Why does my WAV file fail to play despite the correct MIME type?

The WAV format is a container (RIFF) that can hold various audio codecs, though it usually holds uncompressed PCM. If the file uses an obscure codec (like ADPCM or GSM) inside the container, the browser may fail to decode it even if the audio/wave header is correct.

How do I add audio/wave support to Nginx?

Open your mime.types file (usually located in /etc/nginx/) and ensure the line audio/wave wav; exists inside the types block. If you prefer the official standard, you can map it as audio/wav wav; instead.

General FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.