What is the WV file format?
Files with a .wv extension store compressed audio data in WavPack format. WavPack supports lossless, lossy, and a unique hybrid compression method, with typical compression ratios between 30% and 70%. The WavPack algorithm was developed in 1998 by David Bryant, drawing exclusively on publicly available, non-proprietary algorithms, and is released under the BSD open-source license. WavPack 5 arrived in 2017 with numerous improvements; the most recent release, version 5.8.0, followed in January 2025.
.wv files can encode:
- 8-, 16-, 24-, and 32-bit integer PCM as well as 32-bit floating-point PCM
- Mono, stereo, and multichannel audio (up to 4,096 channels in version 5)
- Sampling rates from 6 Hz to 192 kHz, including non-standard custom rates
- DSD (Direct Stream Digital) audio, added in WavPack 5
Some applications open .wv files natively; others require a plug-in. The format is fully portable across Windows, Linux, and macOS. In hybrid mode, the encoder produces two complementary files: a compact, lossy .wv file and a .wvc correction file; combining both restores the original, bit-perfect audio.
WavPack supports multichannel streaming and runs on Rockbox firmware for portable players. .wv files carry metadata as APEv2 or ID3v1 tags and can embed a .cue sheet for track indexing. A stored MD5 hash of the uncompressed audio lets any decoder verify file integrity without a separate checksum tool. The codec offers symmetrical encoding (balanced encode and decode speed) and asymmetrical encoding (slower to encode, faster to decode).
Every .wv block begins with the 4-byte ASCII signature wvpk (hex 77 76 70 6B) at offset 0, making the format reliably identifiable by its magic bytes. The registered MIME type is audio/x-wavpack.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWWavPack is plain audio data with no scripting, so the .wv file itself is not dangerous. The realistic risk is downloading fake 'WavPack codec/player' installers from ad portals that bundle PUP/adware - get the tools only from wavpack.com, foobar2000.org or videolan.org. If a .wv won't play, the file may be a hybrid stream missing its .wvc correction file, or your player lacks the codec (use VLC or foobar2000).
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open WV files
Windows3 apps
Foobar2000
Free Drag the .wv into foobar2000 - native WavPack support, no plugin needed; also converts. 
VLC media player
Open-source Open the .wv with VLC (Media > Open File) - plays WavPack out of the box. 
WavPack tools (wvunpack)
Open-source Official command-line: 'wvunpack file.wv' decodes it to WAV; reference implementation. 
macOS2 apps
Linux3 apps
VLC media player
Open-source Open with VLC; WavPack is included via FFmpeg/GStreamer on most distros. 
Technical details
deep spec| Magic bytes | `wvpk` (0x77 0x76 0x70 0x6B) at offset 0 |
| MIME type | `audio/x-wavpack` |
| Compression modes | Lossless, lossy, and hybrid (lossy `.wv` paired with `.wvc` correction file) |
| Typical compression ratio | 30-70% of original uncompressed size |
| Bit depths | 8, 16, 24, and 32-bit integer PCM; 32-bit floating-point PCM; DSD |
| Sampling rates | 6 Hz to 192 kHz, including arbitrary custom rates |
| Channel support | Mono, stereo, multichannel - up to 4,096 channels (WavPack 5) |
| Metadata support | APEv2 tags, ID3v1 tags, embedded CUE sheets |
| Integrity verification | MD5 hash of decoded PCM stored inside the file |
| Encoding symmetry | Symmetrical mode (balanced encode/decode speed); asymmetrical mode (slow encode, fast decode) |
| Hardware support | Rockbox open-source portable media player firmware |
| DSD support | Direct Stream Digital encoding/decoding, introduced in WavPack 5 |
| License | BSD (open source; code freely redistributable) |
| Released | 1998; current WavPack 5.x (5.8.0 released 2025-01-27) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.wavpack.com |
WV conversions
Community Q&A
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