What happens when you convert CAF to WAV
- The audio is decoded and written as 16-bit PCM, the same sample rate as the source.
How to convert CAF to WAV online
- Press "Choose CAF files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
- Adjust the settings if you need to: the bitrate controls quality and size. The defaults suit most people.
- Press "Convert to WAV". The first audio or video conversion downloads the converter engine, about 32 MB, which your browser then keeps for next time.
- Save each WAV with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert CAF to WAV?
CAF files usually come from GarageBand loops, iOS app sounds and long recordings. People convert them to WAV because WAV opens in every audio editor and is what many phone systems, samplers and broadcast tools require.
In short, CAF is good at what it was made for, and WAV is the more practical choice when the file has to play on another device or app. CAF plays in Safari and Apple apps; not in Chrome or Firefox, while WAV plays in every browser and audio editor.
How to convert CAF to WAV on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your CAF files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each WAV is saved to your Downloads folder. If you prefer a desktop program, VLC can also convert CAF to WAV: choose Media, then Convert / Save.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the CAF files from Finder onto the drop zone and the WAV files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose CAF files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted WAV appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose CAF files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The WAV is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it. Keep the screen on while a long video converts, because Android may pause a tab in the background.
Best settings for CAF to WAV
WAV is lossless, so there is no quality setting: every sample of the decoded CAF is kept. What changes is size. CD-quality stereo, 44.1 kHz at 16 bits, takes about 10 MB per minute as uncompressed PCM.
The CAF is lossless too, so the conversion is exact in both directions.
CAF vs WAV: the differences
| CAF | WAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Core Audio Format | Waveform Audio File Format |
| Type | audio | audio |
| Created by | Apple | Microsoft and IBM |
| First released | 2005 | 1991 |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Usually contains | PCM, AAC, ALAC, Opus and others | uncompressed PCM, usually 16-bit at 44.1 or 48 kHz |
| In a browser | plays in Safari and Apple apps; not in Chrome or Firefox | plays in every browser and audio editor |
| Common uses | GarageBand loops, iOS app sounds and long recordings | recording, editing, sound effects and CD audio |
| MIME type | audio/x-caf | audio/wav |
About CAF and WAV files
What is a CAF file?
CAF is Apple's container with no practical size limit, while WAV and AIFF stop at 4 GB. It shows up mostly in iOS development and GarageBand projects.
What is a WAV file?
WAV normally stores raw, uncompressed samples: about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo. Editors prefer it because nothing is lost between saves, and it is why a song is ten times larger than as MP3.
CAF to WAV not working? Common problems
- The conversion is slow. Audio and container changes take seconds, but re-encoding video runs on your own processor. Lower the resolution to 720p, close other tabs, and keep the device plugged in.
- The tab stops or reloads on a very large file. Browsers limit how much memory one tab can use, around 2 GB and less on phones. Split long recordings or convert them on a computer.
- Song titles are missing. Tags such as title and artist are copied when WAV can store them, but cover art is not carried over.
Convert CAF to WAV with ffmpeg
This converter runs ffmpeg inside your browser. If you would rather use the ffmpeg command line on your own computer, this command produces an equivalent WAV with the same kind of settings:
ffmpeg -i input.caf -vn -c:a pcm_s16le output.wavReplace input.caf with the name of your file. For a whole folder of CAF files, run the command in a loop, or drop them all on the converter above, which processes them one after another.
CAF to WAV converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting CAF to WAV?
No further quality is lost, because WAV is written losslessly. Detail the CAF compression already removed does not come back.
Why is the WAV a different size from the CAF?
The WAV is usually larger, because it stores every sample without compression losses, while the CAF was compressed lossily.
Are my CAF files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside this browser tab using ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, so your files stay on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page and converter engine have loaded and it still works.
Can I convert several CAF files to WAV at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a WAV file?
WAV plays in every browser and audio editor. WAV is common for recording, editing, sound effects and CD audio.
Is this CAF to WAV converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The site is paid for by advertising, and because conversions run on your device there is no server cost per file.
Can I convert CAF to WAV on my phone?
Yes. The converter works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. Converted files are saved to the Downloads folder.