WMA
Also known as: Windows Media Audio, .wma file
WMA (Windows Media Audio) is Microsoft’s audio format, designed as a lossy alternative to MP3 with similar file sizes and quality. It is now largely legacy: most playback has moved to MP3 and AAC, and many non-Windows devices cannot open WMA without converting it first.
- Microsoft’s lossy MP3 alternative
- Largely legacy; MP3 and AAC replaced it
- Often needs converting off Windows
What WMA is and why it is fading
WMA is usually a lossy format, compressing audio much like MP3 — roughly comparable file sizes for comparable quality. Microsoft also made lossless and voice variants, but the standard lossy WMA is what most files use.
It was common on Windows PCs and old media players, but the industry standardized on MP3 and AAC. Today WMA mostly turns up in older music libraries and ripped CDs rather than new recordings.
Compatibility and converting
Windows Media Player handles WMA natively, but iPhones, Macs, and many Android apps do not play it reliably. If you keep a WMA library, converting it to MP3 makes it portable across every device with little practical change in size.