You need to convert a WAV file — change the sample rate, the bit depth, or both. So you open a converter, process the file, and check the result. The audio sounds fine. But the metadata is gone. The timecode is missing. The scene number, the track names, the project info — stripped.
This happens more often than it should, and it creates real problems in post-production. Here’s why it happens, and how to avoid it.
Why most converters lose metadata
WAV file converters are generally built around one goal: changing the audio format. They read the audio samples, resample or re-quantize them, and write a new file. The metadata — stored in separate chunks inside the WAV file, like the bEXT chunk and the iXML chunk — is either ignored entirely or not copied to the output.
From the converter’s perspective, the job is done. From a post-production perspective, the file is now missing critical information that editors, DAW systems, and conforming software depend on.
What metadata gets lost
When a converter strips WAV metadata, here’s what disappears:
- Timecode — the BWF timecode reference stored in the bEXT chunk. This is how DAWs know where in the timeline to place the audio. Lose this, and automatic conform breaks.
- Scene and take numbers — used by editing systems to match audio to picture
- Track names — which channel is the boom, which is the lav
- Project name and originator info — traceability and archival data
- iXML data — the full production metadata written by your field recorder
For a location sound recordist handing off to post, or a post-production house delivering to a broadcaster, this metadata is not optional. It’s part of the deliverable.
The timecode problem specifically
Timecode in a WAV file is stored as a sample count in the bEXT chunk — specifically, the number of samples from midnight to the point of recording. This value is tied to the original sample rate. When you convert sample rate without recalculating this value, the timecode becomes wrong. When you strip the bEXT chunk entirely, the timecode disappears.
Either way, any DAW or conforming system that relies on the embedded timecode will now get the wrong result, or nothing at all.
How Wave Copilot handles conversion differently
Wave Copilot is built for professional audio workflows, which means metadata preservation is not an afterthought — it’s part of the conversion process.
When you convert a file in Wave Copilot:
- All bEXT metadata is carried over — description, originator, originator reference, origination date and time
- Timecode is recalculated correctly — the BWF timecode reference value is adjusted to account for the new sample rate, so the timecode remains accurate in the converted file
- iXML data is preserved — all production metadata written by your field recorder stays intact
- Audio quality is maintained — proper dithering (TPDF or Lipshitz Noise Shaping) is applied when reducing bit depth, and professional sample rate conversion algorithms are used
The converted file has new audio specs and identical metadata. It’s ready for post-production, broadcast delivery, or archiving without any extra steps.
A practical example
You recorded a documentary at 96kHz, 32-bit float. Your broadcast delivery spec requires 48kHz, 24-bit. You have 120 files from three shooting days, all with bEXT and iXML metadata written by your Sound Devices recorder.
In Wave Copilot, you select all 120 files, set the output to 48kHz and 24-bit, choose Lipshitz Noise Shaping dithering, and click Convert. Wave Copilot processes every file, recalculates the timecode for each one at the new sample rate, and writes all the original metadata into every output file.
The editor receives 120 files that auto-conform correctly in the DAW, with all scene and take information intact, and timecode that lands where it should.
Conclusion
If your WAV converter is stripping metadata or breaking timecode, it’s adding invisible work to every downstream step of your project. Wave Copilot handles conversion the right way — audio quality and metadata, together. Free 14-day trial available for Windows and macOS.