How to Inspect a WAV File Online

HOW TO INSPECT A WAV FILE ONLINE

WAV files are one of the most common audio formats — and they’re built on top of RIFF. If you want to look inside a WAV file, you don’t need heavy desktop tools. You can do it right in your browser.

STEP 1: GET A SAMPLE FILE
Find any `.wav` file on your system. It could be a sound effect, a recording, or a sample from a music project.

STEP 2: OPEN ONLINE RIFF TOOLS
Go to Online RIFF Tools and upload your file. Nothing is sent to a server — the parsing happens locally in your browser.

STEP 3: EXPLORE THE CHUNKS
Once uploaded, the tool will display the internal structure. You’ll see:
- A `RIFF` header marking the file type
- A `fmt ` chunk describing sample rate, channels, and bit depth
- A `data` chunk with the raw audio samples
- Optional `LIST` chunks with metadata like artist or track name

WHY THIS MATTERS

Inspecting WAV files helps when:
- Debugging encoding problems
- Checking audio metadata
- Learning how digital audio is stored

REAL EXAMPLE

If you record your voice with a microphone, the `fmt ` chunk will tell you if it’s mono or stereo, what sample rate it was captured at (44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, etc.), and how many bits per sample are used. The `data` chunk holds the actual waveform.

Being able to *see* this breakdown makes digital audio much less mysterious.

IN SUMMARY

With Online RIFF Tools, all of this is just a few clicks away. No setup, no installs — just clear insight into your audio files.