My program could truncate the WAV file a bit. Will it still be playable?

stf92 · 11-29-2010, 02:49 AM

Hi:
I think this is more of a programmer-like matter than anything else.

I take a WAV file and cut the tail, at some point beyond the header. Will this file still be playable by any player who could play it before the cut? That is the question.

David the H. · 11-29-2010, 03:26 AM

Why not simply try it for yourself and find out?

I believe truncated .wav files will still work in most players, but the metadata information, such as the length of the track, will probably be incorrect.

I just ran a test where I cat-ed part of a .wav into a new file, and that's exactly the behavior I got.

wje_lq · 11-29-2010, 06:59 AM

In the name of the Flying Spaghetti Monster,

I've written software that plays back wav files. For the purpose of playback, the only thing of importance at the end of a wav file is the tail end of the sound. For more information on the format, go to wikipedia. The list of external links at the end of the article may also interest you.

stf92 · 11-29-2010, 07:00 PM

That's a fine answer. Thanks a lot. Thanks also be given to David the H.