WAV Validator
Drop any .wav or .wave file to instantly check its structure. Verifies the RIFF/WAVE wrapper, walks all sub-chunks, fully parses the fmt chunk (including WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE), checks the data chunk, and reports codec, sample rate, bit depth, channels, and duration. Also reads broadcast WAV (bext) and LIST/INFO metadata tags. Nothing leaves your browser.
WAV File
Drop a .wav or .wave file here, or
Supports .wav / .wave files up to 200 MB
⛔
Wrong file type — only .wav / .wave files are supported. You dropped a file.
Validation Errors
Warnings
✓ Valid WAV
Embedded Metadata
How It Works
1
Drop your WAV fileDrag it onto the drop zone or click "browse" to select it. Both
.wav and .wave extensions are accepted.2
RIFF chunk analysisThe validator reads the outer
RIFF/WAVE header, then walks every sub-chunk — fully parsing fmt (including the extended WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE sub-format and channel mask), data, fact, bext, LIST/INFO, smpl, cue , and any RF64/ds64 chunks for files over 4 GB.3
Review the reportGet a pass/fail result plus full stats: format, codec, sample rate, bit depth, channels, byte rate, block align, duration, and all embedded metadata fields.
What Gets Validated
- RIFF/WAVE header — the file must open with
RIFF(orRF64for large files) and its form type must beWAVE. AnAIFF/FORMheader, OGG magic, or any other value triggers a format-specific error. - fmt chunk — the mandatory Format chunk. Contains the audio format tag (PCM, IEEE float, A-law, µ-law, etc.), channel count, sample rate, byte rate, block alignment, and bits per sample. Must appear before the
datachunk. - WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE (0xFFFE) — used for high-channel-count or high-bit-depth files. The validator reads the extra 22 bytes: valid bits per sample, the speaker channel mask, and the SubFormat GUID to determine the true codec.
- data chunk — holds the raw audio samples. Its size is cross-checked against the
fmtparameters to verify the declared sample count matches the actual byte count. - fact chunk — present in compressed and extensible WAV files. Reports the total number of sample frames and is used as an alternative duration source.
- RF64 / ds64 — the 64-bit RIFF extension used when file size or data chunk size exceed the 4 GB RIFF limit. The
ds64chunk is parsed to get the true sizes. - bext chunk — the Broadcast Wave Format extension. Contains description, originator name, originator reference, origination date/time, time code (samples since midnight), and UMID.
- LIST/INFO chunk — standard RIFF metadata. Reads
INAM(title),IART(artist),IPRD(album),ICRD(date),IGNR(genre),ITRK(track),ICMT(comment),ISFT(software), and more. - smpl chunk — sampler data including MIDI unity note, pitch fraction, and loop point count.
🔒 Privacy & Security
All validation is performed locally using the Web File API and JavaScript ArrayBuffer. Your audio file is never sent to a server. Suitable for private recordings, unreleased masters, field recordings, or any sensitive audio content.