WAV
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is a standard digital audio file format developed by Microsoft and IBM for storing uncompressed or losslessly compressed audio data on PCs. It is based on the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) and typically uses Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) encoding, preserving high-quality audio without compression artifacts. WAV files are widely used in professional audio production, broadcasting, and archival due to their fidelity and compatibility.
Developers should learn and use WAV when working with high-fidelity audio applications, such as music production, sound design, or scientific audio analysis, where lossless quality is essential. It is also valuable for handling raw audio data in programming contexts, like audio processing libraries or game development, due to its straightforward structure and support across platforms. However, for web or mobile applications where file size matters, compressed formats like MP3 or AAC are more practical alternatives.