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Format

Broadcast WAVE

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Summary

Name
Broadcast WAVE
Version
2 Generic
Identifiers
  • MIME: audio/x-wav
  • PUID: fmt/527
Format type
Audio
Family
WAVE
Description
Broadcast WAVE is a chunk-based audio format developed by the European Broadcasting Union, and based on the Microsoft WAVE format, which is in turn based on the generic Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) specification developed by Microsoft and IBM. Structurally, a BWAVE file is composed of a number of chunks, each comprising a four character code chunk identifier, the chunk size, and the chunk data. It comprises a RIFF header with a WAVE data type identifier, followed by a series of chunks. Every file must include a Broadcast Audio Extension chunk, containing metadata required for exchange of information between broadcasters, a Format chunk, which describes the format of the audio data, and a Data chunk, containing the audio data itself. BWAVE files which contain MPEG-encoded audio data must also include a Fact chunk, containing file-dependent information about the audio data, and an MPEG Audio Extension chunk, containing extra information required to describe the MPEG encoding. A BWAVE identified as generic by DROID likely uses an encoding format unknown to PRONOM, or perhaps a structural difference, and users are encouraged to let the PRONOM team know should this occur.
File extensions
wav
Source
Digital Preservation Department / The National Archives

Relationships

Has lower priority than
Has priority over
Is subsequent version of

Internal signatures

BWAVE Generic 2

Note
RIFF header, WAVE ID, BEXT chunk (Version=2)

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
0
Byte Sequence
52494646{4}57415645*62657874{350}0200
Endianness
None

Changelog

  • Updated in V81

    Release date
    18 February 2015

    Broadcast WAVE 2 Generic: Updated format name and simplified signature.

  • Updated in V79

    Release date
    6 November 2014

    Broadcast WAVE 2: Corrected signature variant for files that conform to WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE. Submitted by State Records New South Wales.

  • Updated in V78

    Release date
    23 September 2014

    Broadcast WAVE 2: Added signature variant for files that conform to WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE and gave priority over Waveform Audio (WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE). Submitted by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

  • Added in V68

    Release date
    1 May 2013

    Broadcast WAVE 2: Signature developed through PRONOM Research.

    Broadcast WAVE 2: Outline Entry Added.