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Format

Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF)

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Summary

Name
Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF)
Identifiers
  • Library of Congress Format Description Identifier: fdd000025
  • PUID: fmt/1886
Format type
  • Audio
  • Video
Description
RIFF (Resource Interchange File Format) is a structured framework for multimedia files. Rather than being a precise file format, RIFF serves as a broader structure that encompasses specific file formats, including several subtypes. The fundamental component of a RIFF file is a chunk, identifiable by a unique four-character code. Applications such as viewers can bypass chunks with unfamiliar codes. A core RIFF chunk starts with a second distinctive four-character code identifying the specific RIFF variant or subtype. Applications rendering RIFF files can disregard chunks with unknown labels. Chunks can also be layered within each other. While the RIFF structure underpins several critical file formats, it has not been employed as the enclosing structure for any formats developed post the mid-1990s.
Submitted by
New York Public Library / New York Public Library

Relationships

Has lower priority than

Internal signatures

RIFF

Description
BOF:'RIFF'

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
0
Byte Sequence
52494646
Endianness
None

Changelog

  • V114

    Release date
    22 August 2023

    • Added format

      Resource Interleaved File Format (RIFF): Full entry added. Submitted by New York Public Libraries.

    • Added signature

      Resource Interleaved File Format (RIFF): Signature researched and samples provided by New York Public Libraries.