How to Repair Corrupt WAV Files | 5 Methods

Eleanor Reed

Dec 16, 2024 • Filed to: Photo/Video/Audio Solutions • Proven solutions

Are your WAV files corrupted and now you can't seem to find a way to fix corrupted audio files?

If your answer is "yes", then you have come to the right place. WAV, which stands for Waveform Audio File Format, is a popular audio file extension and format developed by Microsoft. The format was released in 1991 and is extensively used even today. A lot of new-age devices might support WAV, but they can also make these audio files corrupt while playing. Don't worry – in this guide, we will teach you how to repair corrupt WAV files and identify the common reasons behind this issue as well.

Part 1: Why WAV Files Get Corrupted?

From encoding to an application error, there could be all kinds of reasons for getting a WAV file corrupt. Before we learn how to recover corrupted WAV files, let's quickly identify some of the common reasons behind this issue.

Part 2: 5 Methods to Repair Corrupted WAV File

Method 1. Using Repairit Audio Repair

While you can't avoid your WAV files from getting corrupt entirely, you can take some needed measures to get them fixed. There are a few WAV file repair tools out there that can help you repair the corrupted WAV files. One of the most successful and popular tools of them is Repairit Audio Repair by Wondershare.

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If your audio files are damaged, then simply follow these basic steps to repair corrupted WAV files. Mac users can follow similar steps to turn to the Mac Music Repair Guide.

Step 1: Upload corrupted WAV file

At first, download and install the Wondershare Repairit on your Mac or Windows PC by visiting its official website. Now, launch it and select the More Types Repair tab. Click Audio Repair, then, upload the corrupted WAV file.

Step 2: Start the Repair Process

As you would click on the "Repair" button, Recoverit will start repairing the corrupted audio file. It will take a few minutes. You can check the progress on the screen.

Step 3: Preview and Save

Once the repairing process completes, you can preview the audio file to see if it’s repaired successfully. Then, click on Save to download the file locally if you’re satisfied with the result.

Method 2. Using VLC Media Player

VLC media player includes a built-in feature to repair corrupted WAV files with just a few clicks. To use this feature, first download and install the program on your computer.

1. Launch VLC Media Player and click the Media option from the left corner, then, click Convert/Save.

2. Click the File tab from the Open Media window, and click Browse to upload the corrupted WAV file.
3. After that, click the Start button to initiate the repairing process. Once it completes, try playing the repaired file and check if the file is repaired well.

Method 3. Using Audacity

Another option to repair a corrupted WAV file is to use Audacity. This software can help you export the file again, potentially fixing the issue. However, this method only works if the file is uncorrupted and the damage is limited to the metadata and headers. Here are the steps:

1. Download and install Audacity on your computer. Launch the program and upload the damaged WAV file.
2. Check if the WAV file can be played on Audacity.
3. If it is playing on Audacity, you can try to export the corrupted WAV file to fix it.

Method 4. Using Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is also a tool you can use to repair the corrupted WAV file. With a few clicks, you can repair the distorted audio, remove audio effects, noise, and even more.

1. Select the corrupted WAV file and open it with Adobe Audition.
2. Click the Effects option from the top banner->Diagnostics. Then, it will start to check the file and fix the problem. You just need wait for a few minutes.
3. Once it completes, play the file to check if the problem is solved.

Method 5. Using Audio Repair Tool Online

Apart from a dedicated application to recover corrupted audio files, you can also try an online tool as well. While several applications can help you fix corrupted audio files online, you should know that their output is not as good as Recoverit. Also, they might claim that they are free, but later, they would ask you to complete a survey or buy an app. Nevertheless, from the provided options, I have tried MP3Repair.net and found the results pretty satisfying.

Not just MP3, the online tool can also repair MP3, WAV, FLAC, and numerous other audio formats as well. You can load a file from your system or simply provide its URL. The application would try to repair its damaged components and improve its playtime. Furthermore, you can edit the ID3 tags of the audio file or trim it as per your needs. Here's how to repair a corrupt WAV file online using MP3 Repair.

Step 1. To start with, visit the website of MP3 Repair (https://mp3repair.net/en/) from any browser on your system. On its home, you will get an option to either load the file or enter its URL.

You can just drag and drop the audio file or simply click on the upload option. This will launch a browser window for you to select the damaged WAV file. Kindly add one file at a time only.

Step 2. When the file is added, you will be notified of its size. Click on the Upload button and wait as the application would save it to its server.

Step 3. Once it is ready, you will be presented with the following screen. To fix the corrupted WAV file, enable the "Repair audio length" option and click on the Repair button.

Step 4. Wait for a few seconds as the tool would repair the corrupt WAV file and improve its playtime. In the end, you can listen to the fixed audio file or just save it to your local system.

Who knew it would be so easy to repair corrupted WAV files in different ways. You can either use an online tool to fix corrupted WAV files or go with a repair application like Repairit Audio Repair. Since Wondershare Repairit has a better success rate, it would be an ideal choice. Furthermore, the application can repair all kinds of media files and important documents. This makes it a must-have desktop application for every Mac or Windows user out there.