The Tool Desk
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To import a genuinely headerless, uncompressed audio file in Audacity, choose File > Import > Raw Data, select the file, and use Detect as a starting guess. Then verify the encoding, byte order, channel count, start offset, import percentage, and sample rate against the file’s known metadata. If the file is a recognized audio format, use File > Import > Audio instead; an unfamiliar extension alone does not mean the file is raw.
Choose the right import route
Audacity has three practical paths, depending on what the file contains and whether its format is supported by your installed build. Menu names and available formats may vary by Audacity version, operating system, and optional library availability.
| File type | Import method | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Recognized audio with a supported format | File > Import > Audio, or drag the file into the project | Imports the audio as a track in the current project. Common shipped-build formats include most WAV and AIFF PCM, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, and MP2. Audacity’s import documentation lists format details. |
| Headerless or unrecognized uncompressed audio data | File > Import > Raw Data | You must supply or verify how the bytes represent audio samples. The Raw Data dialog supports sample rates from 100 Hz to 384,000 Hz. Audacity’s Raw Data documentation describes its controls. |
| Other compressed or less common formats | Import using Audacity with the optional FFmpeg library available | FFmpeg expands support for formats such as AC3, M4A, MP4, WMA, and most non-DRM video files. DRM-protected media cannot be imported through this route. See Audacity’s FFmpeg installation guidance. |
How to import a headerless file with Raw Data
Raw audio has no header that identifies its encoding, channel layout, or sample rate. The settings must match the source; otherwise Audacity may interpret the bytes incorrectly, producing noise, wrong playback speed, or an implausible duration.
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- Confirm the file is actually raw and uncompressed. Check the recording device, export tool, or file documentation for the format. If it is a supported standard format, use ordinary audio import. If it is compressed in a less common container, check whether FFmpeg is the appropriate route.
- Open the Raw Data dialog. In Audacity, select File > Import > Raw Data, then choose the file.
- Try Detect, but treat it as a guess. Audacity can propose settings, but the result is not confirmation that those settings match the file. Compare them with reliable metadata or the source device’s documentation.
- Set the parameters you can verify. Match the encoding, byte order, number of channels, start offset in bytes, percentage of the file to import, and sample rate to the source. The supported sample-rate range shown in the manual is 100 Hz to 384,000 Hz.
- Test a portion if the settings are uncertain. The dialog’s percentage control lets you import part of the file. Listen to the result and check whether its duration and playback speed make sense before building a longer editing workflow around it.
There is no universal Raw Data preset: the correct values depend on how the particular file was produced. If you cannot establish those details, importing with guessed settings may create audio that sounds plausible but is still incorrectly interpreted.
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When an unfamiliar file is not raw audio
A failed standard import does not prove that a file is headerless. It may instead be compressed audio, an unsupported container, or a format that needs an optional library. In particular, Audacity’s documentation warns that some portable-recorder WAV files contain proprietary compressed audio; those should not be imported as Raw Data. Where supported, use FFmpeg for that kind of file. Raw Data does not bypass DRM protection.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep source, raw-import, and project sample rates distinct
For ordinary imports, Audacity imports audio at its original sample rate. The project sample rate is a separate setting that affects playback, newly created tracks, and exported audio. For Raw Data, the sample-rate field is an interpretation parameter: it tells Audacity how quickly to play the samples represented by the file’s bytes. It should match the source metadata, not be chosen simply to match a project setting.
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Audacity’s default imported sample format is generally 32-bit float, even when the source has a lower bit depth. The displayed working format therefore does not establish that the original recording was made at 32-bit. WAV and AIFF resolution behavior can also vary according to the relevant preference and the file’s bit depth. See Audacity’s sample-rate and sample-format documentation.
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Check the result before editing
- Playback speed sounds wrong: Recheck the Raw Data sample-rate setting against known source metadata.
- Channels sound combined or separated incorrectly: Verify the channel count and how the source stores channel samples.
- The start contains silence or unrelated noise: Check whether the file has a leading byte offset before the audio data.
- The result is noise or otherwise unintelligible: Recheck encoding and byte order, and confirm that the file is uncompressed raw data rather than a compressed format.
- Standard import fails: Identify the actual format before trying Raw Data; consider whether the optional FFmpeg library supports it.
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