Windows Media Audio (WMA)
Windows Media Audio is a family of audio formats with distinct Standard, Professional, Lossless, and Voice variants.
| Windows Media Audio member | Intended coding role | Microsoft format identifier |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | General-purpose lossy audio | 0x0161 |
| Professional | Lossy audio including multichannel/high-resolution configurations | 0x0162 |
| Lossless | Preserve supported source audio data | 0x0163 |
| Voice | Separately implemented speech-focused coding | A distinct codec family member |
Use this table when one old WMA file plays and another does not. WMA names a family; the reader's format identifier selects a particular decoder job.
ASF packaging and WMA family identification
A WMA extension commonly names an audio-only ASF file. The ASF stream description identifies the encoded audio. A reader can recognize the outer container while lacking the decoder for its specific WMA member.
For example, a stereo music file using Standard and a multichannel recording using Professional can share the extension but need different codec capabilities. The latter also needs the appropriate channel-layout handling after decoding.
A high bitrate or sample rate is not a substitute for that identification. Lossless is distinguished by its format, not by a file happening to be large.
Match the conversion to the identified source
If a WMA Lossless collection is moved to a suitable lossless PCM codec, preserving its decoded samples can preserve the audio exactly. A Standard or Professional source instead supplies its lossy reconstruction, even when the destination is FLAC.
For Emby, this identification informs whether the source can be delivered to the client as it stands, whether its wrapper needs changing, or whether another decoder/encoder must create a compatible version.
A useful inventory records the family member, sample rate, channels/layout, and any protection requirements. It explains a collection's different handling more directly than grouping every file under one WMA filename category.