WMA (Windows Media Audio) You may have encountered Windows Media Audio under the name of "ASF". ASF is Microsoft's specification for streaming, essentially a wrapper format. WMA is a lossy audio compression algorithm which works only as part of the Windows media player and not as a standard Windows codec (so that you may not convert WMA files to other formats).

In 1998 it applauded the superiority of WMA in the arena of streaming media. With clear stereo music even at 22kbps, WMA is the only way to get an acceptable quality in typical phoneline speeds. Its low CPU requirements and broad availability have turned it, as it predicted, to the Real Audio killer!

Stereo image and voice is not as good however, so Microsoft's claim for FM quality at phoneline speeds is not true. Also, Microsoft's second claim that WMA provides CD quality at 64kbps is entirely wrong. Not only does the 64kbps WMA lack in violin detail, but even at 128kbps (which Microsoft touts as "audiophile") suffers from overbrightness.