---
title: ".wma file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .wma file is a Windows Media Audio. Microsoft's music format from the Windows XP years, now legacy. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/wma/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .wma files

**.wma file: Windows Media Audio**

Microsoft's music format from the Windows XP years, now legacy.

## What opens a .wma file

- **Windows:** Media Player (built in), VLC, foobar2000
- **macOS:** VLC
- **Linux:** VLC, Audacious

## What a .wma file is

WMA was Microsoft's answer to MP3, bundled with Windows Media Player and used by early download stores and CD-ripping defaults. Windows still plays it; almost nothing else does without VLC, and phones generally will not. Files bought from defunct stores may carry DRM tied to a licence server that no longer exists, in which case the audio cannot be recovered by any legitimate means.

## Converting it

A .wma file is commonly converted to .mp3, .wav, .flac or .m4a. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .wma
- **Full name:** Windows Media Audio
- **Category:** Audio
- **MIME type:** audio/x-ms-wma
- **Created by:** Microsoft
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .wma file?

On Windows use Media Player (built in); on macOS use VLC; on Linux use VLC. Microsoft's music format from the Windows XP years, now legacy.

### What is a .wma file?

Windows Media Audio. WMA was Microsoft's answer to MP3, bundled with Windows Media Player and used by early download stores and CD-ripping defaults. Windows still plays it; almost nothing else does without VLC, and phones generally will not.

### Can I convert a .wma file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .mp3, .wav, .flac or .m4a, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.mp3 — MPEG-1 Audio Layer III](https://atoneplace.net/file/mp3/)
- [.wav — Waveform Audio File](https://atoneplace.net/file/wav/)
- [.m4a — MPEG-4 Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/m4a/)
- [.flac — Free Lossless Audio Codec](https://atoneplace.net/file/flac/)
- [.aac — Advanced Audio Coding](https://atoneplace.net/file/aac/)
- [.ogg — Ogg Vorbis Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/ogg/)
- [.opus — Opus Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/opus/)
- [.mid — MIDI Sequence](https://atoneplace.net/file/mid/)
- [.m3u — Media Playlist](https://atoneplace.net/file/m3u/)
- [.aiff — Audio Interchange File Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/aiff/)
- [.m4b — MPEG-4 Audiobook](https://atoneplace.net/file/m4b/)
- [.amr — Adaptive Multi-Rate Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/amr/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)