Author: Brady Gavin / Source: How-To Geek
A file with the .wma file extension is a Windows Media Audio (WMA) file. Microsoft created the format to avoid the licensing issues associated with the MP3 format.
RELATED: What Are the Differences Between MP3, FLAC, and Other Audio Formats?
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What Is a WMA File?
Initially created in 1999, Microsoft designed WMA to combat MP3 and Apple’s AAC compression methods. Since then, WMA has expanded from its initial lossy format into a wide range of sub-formats including low-bandwidth voice audio to lossless multi-channel surround sound.
RELATED: What Lossless File Formats Are & Why You Shouldn’t Convert Lossy to Lossless
When compared to MP3 format, WMA maintains a higher level of quality at a lower bitrate, especially when comparing bitrates less than 64 kbps.
Because WMA is a proprietary format, very few programs support it compared to the widely used MP3. If you plan to open your WMA files on anything but Windows, you’ll either have to download a third-party application or convert it into a different format.
How Do I Open a WMA File?
Since WMA is a proprietary Microsoft…
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