WMA to PAF Converter

Produce Ensoniq PARIS big-endian audio from WMA

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PARIS Compatible

PAF works with big-endian Ensoniq PARIS — convert WMA for vintage studios.

Server Processing

No Ensoniq equipment needed — convert WMA to PAF online.

Fast Encoding

PAF files encode quickly from WMA.

How to convert WMA to PAF

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

Choose paf or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

Let the file convert and you can download your paf file right afterwards

About formats

WMA (Windows Media Audio) is a family of proprietary audio codecs developed by Microsoft and first released in 1999 as part of the Windows Media framework. Created to compete with MP3 and AAC, WMA Standard uses perceptual coding to deliver what Microsoft claimed was near-CD quality at bitrates as low as 64 kbps — roughly half the data rate MP3 typically needed for comparable results. The codec family grew to include WMA Professional for surround sound and high-resolution audio, WMA Lossless for bit-perfect archival compression, and WMA Voice optimized for spoken content at very low bitrates. Deep integration with Windows, Windows Media Player, and the Zune ecosystem gave WMA a strong distribution advantage throughout the 2000s, and digital rights management (DRM) support made it attractive to online music stores of that era. Encoding and decoding are handled natively by Windows, requiring no third-party software for playback on any Windows machine. Cross-platform support has improved through libraries like FFmpeg and GStreamer, though WMA remains less universally compatible than MP3 or AAC on non-Microsoft devices. The format still appears in legacy media libraries, though newer codecs have largely taken its place for streaming and portable use.

Developer: Microsoft Corporation

Initial release: 1999

PAF (Paris Audio File) is the native audio format of the Ensoniq PARIS (Professional Audio Recording Integrated System) digital audio workstation, developed by Ensoniq in the late 1990s. PARIS was a hardware/software DAW that earned a loyal following among recording engineers for its warm analog-like sound and reliable operation, with PAF serving as its primary working file container. The format stores uncompressed PCM audio at 16-bit or 24-bit resolution and standard professional sample rates (44.1, 48, and 96 kHz), preserving full fidelity without lossy compression. PAF uses a straightforward binary layout — a compact header followed by interleaved sample data — enabling efficient real-time read and write during recording sessions. One notable advantage is support for both big-endian and little-endian byte ordering, reflecting the PARIS system's cross-platform roots on Mac and PC. After Ensoniq's acquisition by E-mu Systems and then Creative Technology, the PARIS DAW was discontinued, but PAF files remain important for studios with archived projects in this format. Tools like SoX and libsndfile can read and convert PAF files, ensuring long-term accessibility.

Developer: Ensoniq

Initial release: 1998

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert WMA to PAF?

PAF is the big-endian variant of the Ensoniq PARIS audio format. The PARIS DAW cannot import WMA directly, so conversion to PAF is necessary to load audio into big-endian PARIS workstation sessions.

Which software and hardware support PAF files?

The Ensoniq PARIS workstation reads PAF natively on big-endian hardware. SoX handles PAF on all modern operating systems, making it possible to preview and verify files before loading them into PARIS.

When should I use PAF instead of FAP?

Choose PAF for big-endian Ensoniq PARIS configurations and FAP for little-endian setups. The audio content is identical in both — only the byte order differs, and using the wrong one will produce garbled playback.

Does converting WMA to PAF affect audio fidelity?

PAF stores uncompressed PCM audio, so the decoded WMA content transfers without further lossy compression. The output file will be larger than the compressed WMA but preserves full decoded quality.

Can I convert several WMA files to PAF at once?

Yes — upload a batch of WMA files and Convertio creates a PAF version of each in parallel. Download results individually or as a single archive when all conversions are complete.

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Specific converters

MP3 to PAF

MP4 to PAF

M4A to PAF

WAV to PAF

OGG to PAF

AVI to PAF

AAC to PAF

MOV to PAF

MKV to PAF

FLAC to PAF

AMR to PAF

WMA to PAF

3G2 to PAF

3GP to PAF

AAF to PAF

ASF to PAF

AV1 to PAF

AVCHD to PAF

CAVS to PAF

DIVX to PAF

DV to PAF

F4V to PAF

FLV to PAF

HEVC to PAF

M2TS to PAF

M2V to PAF

M4V to PAF

MJPEG to PAF

MOD to PAF

MPEG to PAF

WMA to PAF Quality Rating

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