How to open a .wma file?

WMA files can be opened by most music players and audio editors. You can also convert WMA to other formats online using SquishConvert.

How to convert a .wma file?

Upload your .wma file to SquishConvert, select an output format, and click Convert. Your converted file will be ready to download in seconds.

Audio format

.wma

Windows Media Audio

WMA is Microsoft's proprietary audio format. While it offered competitive quality in the early 2000s, it has largely been superseded by AAC and other formats. It's still encountered in legacy Windows media libraries.

MIME type

audio/x-ms-wma

Developer

Microsoft

Introduced

1999

Advantages

Good compression at low bitrates
DRM support for content protection
Native Windows support
Lossless mode available

Limitations

Limited cross-platform support
Proprietary format
Declining popularity
Not supported on many portable devices

When to use WMA

Legacy Windows media libraries

Windows-based audio systems

DRM-protected content

Older portable devices

Technical details

WMA uses a modified DCT codec. WMA Standard supports up to 320 kbps, WMA Pro supports up to 768 kbps with 7.1 surround. WMA Lossless provides bit-perfect compression.