WMA

Windows Media Audio

Developer:

Microsoft

Header:

Custom

Content:

PCM

Instruments:

Intrinsic

Target Output

Released:

199?-??-??

Extensions

*.wma

Windows Media Audio (WMA) is a container format for four distinct audio codecs. The first codec is based off of Henrique Malvar's lossy compression algorithm similar to MP3. The second uses a lossless algorithm similar to FLAC. The third is a lossy codec used for encoding human speech, similar to SPEEX. The fourth is a more advanced lossy codec meant to compete with M4A and OGG. All of the codecs housed in WMA are under patents and copyrights owned by Microsoft. The format is closed-source and capable of being encrypted for DRM. Because of this, the only music that will be stored in any of the WMA formats are games that use lossy WMA for music, since lossless codecs can be converted without a decrease in quality.