WAV file shows 0 seconds, won't play or is silent after an interrupted recording
Last reviewed 2026-09-19
A WAV file starts with a header that records the size of the audio. Recorders write the real sizes only when you stop recording. If the recorder crashed or lost power, the header still says zero (or a placeholder), so players think the file is empty even though the audio is all there.
Messages you might see
- “WAV duration is 0:00 / the file won't play”
- “Invalid WAV header / the file is not a valid RIFF file”
Why it happens
- A recorder, dash cam or app was interrupted before finalising the file.
- The recording was streamed to a file that was never closed properly.
Try this first (free, no tool needed)
- In Audacity use File > Import > Raw Data, choose the encoding (often Signed 16-bit PCM), the right sample rate and channel count, and the file will play.
- Check the file size. A recording of many megabytes with a zero-length header is a good sign the audio is intact.
- Try playing it in VLC, which is often tolerant of bad WAV headers, or convert it with ffmpeg (`ffmpeg -i broken.wav fixed.wav`).
If that didn't work
These tools run in your browser. Your file is read and repaired on your own device and is never uploaded.
Broken WAV Header Repair
Works out the real size of the audio, corrects the RIFF and data sizes, byte rate and block alignment, drops a half-written last sample and writes a clean WAV. It can also wrap headerless raw audio if you give the sample rate, channels and bit depth.
Open Broken WAV Header RepairCommon questions
How do I know the sample rate?
It is normally stored in the header the tool keeps. For a file with no header at all, use the setting you recorded with; common values are 44100 or 48000 Hz.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The tool runs as a program inside your own browser, so the file is read and repaired on your device and never sent to a server.