Which MIME types are related to file extension ".wax"?
The .wax file extension is associated with 3 MIME types:
audio/x-ms-wax, video/x-ms-asf, video/x-ms-asx.
A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.
About .wax Files
WAX files are specialized audio files used to stream media in the Windows Media environment.
They follow the MIME type audio/x-ms-wax, which tells the system that the file directs to streaming audio rather than storing a full audio track.
Often, these files contain pointers or URLs that lead to live audio streams. They may appear as simple text files linking to media sources.
Related MIME types like video/x-ms-asf and video/x-ms-asx indicate similar technology used for Windows Media Metafiles and playlist management for both video and audio streams.
- Primary Use: Redirecting and managing live audio streams
- Technical Detail: Uses the ASF container for streaming pointers
- MIME Declaration: audio/x-ms-wax
- Supported By: Windows Media Player, VLC Media Player, and other multimedia apps
Relationship between file extension and MIME type
A file extension is a suffix at the end of a filename that indicates what type of file it is. File extensions help both users and operating systems identify what application should be used to open the file.
File extensions are typically separated from the filename by a period (dot) and consist of 2-4 characters, though they can be longer. For example, in the filename "document.pdf", ".pdf" is the file extension.
File extensions are closely related to MIME types, as they both serve to identify the format of a file. However, while MIME types are used primarily by web browsers and servers, file extensions are used by operating systems and applications.
Associated MIME types
audio/x-ms-wax, video/x-ms-asf, video/x-ms-asx
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 can one extension have multiple MIME types?
Different programs and historical usage may assign various MIME identifiers to the same file format. Listing them together helps maintain compatibility across tools.