If you’ve ever delivered audio to a television broadcaster, you know they have very specific requirements. One of the most common: a single 8-channel WAV file with a precise channel layout. This article breaks down what that means and how to build one.
Why broadcasters use 8-channel WAV
Television distribution systems are designed around a specific audio architecture. Different audio mixes — surround sound, stereo, accessibility tracks — need to travel together in a single file, on specific channel positions, so that the playout system can route them correctly. A mix delivered on the wrong channels won’t sound right, or won’t sound at all, when broadcast.
The standard 8-channel layout
The most common layout used by Canadian and international broadcasters:
- Channels 1–6: 5.1 surround mix (L, R, C, LFE, Ls, Rs)
- Channels 7–8: Stereo mix (Lt, Rt)
This is called Scenario 1 in Wave Merge. It combines a 6-channel 5.1 file and a 2-channel stereo file into one 8-channel WAV.
Stereo-only delivery
Some broadcasters don’t require a surround mix. For stereo-only delivery, channels 1–2 carry the stereo mix, channels 3–6 are silence, and channels 7–8 repeat the stereo mix:
- Channels 1–2: Stereo
- Channels 3–6: Silence
- Channels 7–8: Stereo (repeated)
Described Video (DV) delivery
For content with Described Video the layout is:
- Channels 1–2: Main program mix (stereo)
- Channels 3–6: Silence
- Channels 7–8: Described Video mix
How to build the file
Building any of these layouts manually in a DAW means creating a session, routing files to specific channels, and exporting — which takes time and introduces the possibility of routing errors.
Wave Merge handles all three scenarios with a drag-and-drop interface. Drop in your source files, select the delivery scenario, hit Merge. The app validates that your files are compatible — matching sample rate, bit depth, and duration — before merging. No DAW, no routing session, no risk of misassigning a channel.
Free 14-day trial available for Windows and macOS.