What is the CDA file format?
A .cda file is a shortcut file for audio CD tracks. .cda files do not contain actual audio data but serve as an index pointing to individual tracks on a physical audio CD. Internally, each .cda is a fixed 44-byte RIFF file - bytes 0-3 hold the RIFF identifier and bytes 8-11 the CDDA form type - storing only track metadata: track number, start offset on disc in frames, and track length. No audio samples are stored in the file itself; the audio lives in the CD's Red Book pressing.
Automatic generation of .cda files
.cda files are typically small in size (44 bytes) and are generated automatically by the operating system for each track on a given audio CD. Windows has surfaced Red Book audio tracks this way since Windows 95, creating one .cda file per track whenever a disc is inserted.
Audio CD in optical drive
A .cda shortcut plays the given CD track when selected. Therefore, the CD must be placed in the CD-ROM drive beforehand, or the file won't work as intended. Copying a .cda file to a hard drive copies only the 44-byte pointer - not the audio - making the copy unplayable without the original disc.
Filenames of .cda files
.cda files use a naming convention based on the following pattern: Track##.cda, where ## is the number of the given track (for example, Track01.cda, Track02.cda). To convert CD audio to a portable format such as MP3 or FLAC, dedicated ripping software like Exact Audio Copy or VLC is required. Ripping to an uncompressed WAV file is also a common first step.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA .cda is a harmless 44-byte pointer - it can't carry audio or executable code, so there's no malware risk in the file itself. The only real 'risk' is wasted effort and confusion: copying or emailing .cda files is pointless because the audio stays on the disc. Always rip the CD to a real audio file (MP3/WAV/FLAC) to keep the music. When choosing a ripper, prefer the built-in tools or open-source options (VLC, EAC, XLD) over download-portal 'CDA to MP3 converters', many of which are adware that can't actually do anything useful with a lone .cda anyway.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open CDA files
Windows4 apps
VLC media player
Open-source Play the CD via Media > Open Disc, or Media > Convert/Save > Disc to rip tracks to MP3/FLAC/WAV. Reads the disc, not the .cda pointer. 
Windows Media Player
Built-in Insert the CD, open Windows Media Player, click 'Rip CD' - choose MP3 or WAV and a bitrate to save real audio files. Double-click a .cda just to play that track from the disc. 
Exact Audio Copy (EAC)
Free The audiophile choice for accurate, error-corrected ripping of CD tracks to WAV/FLAC. Use when you want bit-perfect rips.
iTunes / Apple Music
Free Insert the CD, confirm Import; iTunes rips tracks to AAC/MP3/ALAC. Works on Windows and Mac. 
macOS3 apps
Apple Music (iTunes)
Built-in Insert the CD (external drive), confirm Import to rip tracks to AAC/ALAC/MP3 as real files. macOS doesn't show .cda the way Windows does.
XLD (X Lossless Decoder)
Free Accurate CD ripping to FLAC/ALAC/WAV with error correction - the Mac counterpart to EAC. 
Linux2 apps
Asunder / abcde
Open-source Dedicated CD rippers: insert the disc, pick FLAC/MP3/Ogg, and extract real audio files (with CDDB tagging). Technical details
deep spec| File size | Fixed 44 bytes - the entire file is a minimal RIFF chunk containing only pointer metadata, never audio samples |
| Container format | RIFF (Resource Interchange File Format) with form type `CDDA` |
| Magic bytes | `52 49 46 46` (`RIFF`) at offset 0; `43 44 44 41` (`CDDA`) at offset 8 |
| MIME type | `application/x-cdf` |
| Audio content | None - the file stores only metadata; all audio samples reside on the physical CD's Red Book pressing |
| Stored metadata | Track number, start offset on disc (in CD frames at 75 fps), and track duration (in CD frames) |
| CD standard | Red Book (IEC 60908) - defines 44.1 kHz / 16-bit stereo PCM audio on physical CD |
| CD frame rate | 75 frames per second - the unit used for start offset and duration values stored within the `.cda` file |
| Naming convention | `Track##.cda` (e.g., `Track01.cda`, `Track02.cda`); the number matches the track's position on the disc |
| Developer / origin | Microsoft - introduced with Windows 95 to expose Red Book audio tracks as clickable files in Windows Explorer |
| Portability | Not portable without the source disc; copying a `.cda` file copies only the 44-byte pointer, not the audio |
| Platform support | Windows natively generates `.cda` files; macOS and Linux address CD tracks via device paths instead |
| Ripping requirement | Software such as Exact Audio Copy or VLC must read audio directly from the optical drive and encode it to WAV, FLAC, or MP3 |
| File extension | `.cda` - assigned exclusively by Windows; no other common format uses this extension |
| Released | Windows 95-era; how Windows surfaces Red Book CD audio tracks in Explorer |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | en.wikipedia.org |
CDA conversions
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