How to Convert Any WAV to PCM Format
By Brian Jackson
Updated September 28, 2017
WAV and PCM files are both digital audio files. WAV files are more commonly used by Windows-based computers and can contain either compressed audio or uncompressed audio. A PCM file is used for uncompressed audio only, in its raw form. A conversion from WAV to PCM can be accomplished with software packaged with Microsoft Windows XP. This will result in a larger file size, but it can't boost the quality merely by performing the conversion.
Launch "Sound Recorder" by clicking on the "Start" menu, selecting "All Programs," then "Accessories," then "Entertainment" and clicking on "Sound Recorder."
Click on "File" along the top menu bar and "Open." Navigate your disk drive and find the WAV file you want to convert. Double-click it.
Click "File" and then "Save as". Under the "Format" label, click "Change" towards the bottom of the window. Choose "PCM" from the menu and any other options you'd like.
Click the "OK" button and then "Save". The conversion will complete in a few moments or a few minutes depending on the file size.
Writer Bio
Brian Jackson has been writing since 2004 and is currently a full-time staff writer at ITBusiness.ca. He's co-produced a live science-themed webcast series for the Discovery Channel and spent two months in Rwanda on a volunteer stint at a daily newspaper as a writer and photographer. Jackson graduated from Carleton University in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications.