WAV (or WAVE), short for Waveform audio format, is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. Similar to the AVI and ASF format, WAV is only a audio file container. Audio content that is compressed with a wide variety of codecs and that is stored in a .wav file can be played back in Windows Media Player if the appropriate codecs are installed on the computer. The most common audio codecs that are used in .wav files include Microsoft Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (MS ADPCM) and uncompressed Pulse Code Modulation (PCM).