Windows Media Audio (WMA) is a series of audio codecs and their corresponding audio coding formats developed by Microsoft. It is designed for efficient audio compression while maintaining good quality and is commonly used for streaming and storing audio on Windows-based systems and devices.
History
Windows Media Audio (WMA) was developed by Microsoft and launched in 1999 to compete with MP3, offering comparable quality at lower bitrates. The initial versions, WMA 1 and WMA 2, quickly gained traction due to their integration with Windows Media Player and Windows operating systems. In 2003, Microsoft released WMA Pro, which supported higher bitrates, multichannel audio, and enhanced audio fidelity, catering to professional audio needs. Microsoft also introduced WMA Lossless, designed to compress audio without quality loss, and WMA Voice, optimized for low-bitrate voice recordings. Although WMA's popularity has waned with the advent of more advanced codecs, it remains relevant in specific Windows-based applications.
