What is MIME type "audio/wav"?

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.

About audio/wav

Description

WAV Audio

Audio file format standard for storing audio bitstream on PCs.

Details

MIME Type:audio/wav

File Extensions:

.wav

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

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

Content-Type: audio/wav

HTML

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

<audio controls>
  <source src="file.wav" type="audio/wav" />
  Your browser does not support the audio tag.
</audio>

Browser Compatibility

Most modern browsers support the audio/wav MIME type and will play the audio using its built-in media player or a plugin.

Supported Browsers

Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Safari
Microsoft Edge
Opera

Handling

Browsers will provide controls to play the audio file using their built-in media player.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related MIME Types

Official reference for the audio/wav MIME type

https://mime-type.com/audio/wav