Abctool 🎵 Audio Tools

WAV Header Generator

Online WAV header generator and download example files. Generate standard WAV header files by sample rate, channels, and bit depth. Prepend the header to raw PCM files to fix unplayable audio.

Common WAV Header Examples & Downloads

8k Telephony Standard
8kHz Mono
Sample Rate: 8000 Hz
Channels: Mono (1ch)
Bit Depth: 16-bit PCM
Header Size: 44 Bytes
Download 8k Example (.wav)
16k Speech Recognition / ASR
16kHz Mono
Sample Rate: 16000 Hz
Channels: Mono (1ch)
Bit Depth: 16-bit PCM
Header Size: 44 Bytes
Download 16k Example (.wav)
48k HD Audio / Broadcast
48kHz Stereo
Sample Rate: 48000 Hz
Channels: Stereo (2ch)
Bit Depth: 16-bit PCM
Header Size: 44 Bytes
Download 48k Example (.wav)

Custom WAV Header Generator & Downloader

Enter the actual byte size of your raw PCM file so players recognize track duration; set to 0 for a blank 44-byte header. You can also use PCM to WAV Converter to add headers automatically.
Output Filename: Wav_header_16k_16bit_1ch__abctool.info.wav
Byte Rate: 32,000 B/s (31.3 KB/s)
Block Align: 2 Bytes

Related Audio Tools

PCM to WAV Audio Converter
Add standard WAV header and metadata to raw PCM audio files online for immediate playback.
WAV to PCM Converter
Strip the 44-byte WAV header and export pure raw uncompressed PCM stream bytes.
Online PCM Player
Play and listen to raw PCM audio streams directly in your browser without software installation.

Real-Time WAV Header HEX Inspector (44 Bytes)

WAV Header Structure & Size Breakdown (Metadata Details)

Byte OffsetField NameLengthCurrent ValueDescription & Definition

How to Concatenate WAV Header with PCM to Fix Playback

Raw PCM audio has no container metadata or header, so standard media players cannot detect its sample rate or channel configuration. By prepending the 44-byte header generated here to your raw PCM file, you restore it as a standard playable WAV file:

✨ Method 1: Merge Visually with Online File Merger (Recommended, No CLI)
  1. Open Merge Files Tool;
  2. Add both the downloaded WAV header file and your raw PCM file;
  3. Ensure the WAV header file is placed 1st and the PCM file is 2nd;
  4. Set the output file extension to .wav and click "Merge & Download" to get a playable WAV file!
Method 2: Windows Command Line (CMD / PowerShell):
copy /b Wav_header_16k_16bit_1ch__abctool.info.wav + audio.pcm output.wav
Method 3: Linux / macOS Terminal (Bash):
cat Wav_header_16k_16bit_1ch__abctool.info.wav audio.pcm > output.wav
💡 Note: To ensure the output WAV file plays accurately across all media players, enter your PCM file size in bytes before downloading the header, or use the PCM to WAV Converter for automatic calculation and encapsulation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the standard size of a WAV header?

For standard uncompressed linear PCM audio, the WAV header size is exactly 44 bytes. It consists of a 12-byte RIFF chunk header, a 24-byte fmt format subchunk, and an 8-byte data chunk header.

Can an audio file play if Data Size is set to 0 in the header?

Most standard media players (such as Windows Media Player, iOS/Android native players, and HTML5 <audio> tags) will treat a file with Data Size = 0 as having zero duration and refuse to play. We recommend entering the exact byte length of your PCM data when generating the header, or using our PCM to WAV tool for automatic processing.

How do I calculate raw PCM byte rate and file size?

The formula for byte rate is: Sample Rate (Hz) × Channels × (Bit Depth ÷ 8). For example, 16000Hz 16-bit Mono requires 16000 × 1 × 2 = 32,000 bytes per second (~31.25 KB/s).