What Is a .wmv File? .wmv Format, MIME & How to Open

Quick facts

Extension.wmv

File typeWMV Video

MIME typevideo/x-ms-wmv

CategoryVideo

Charset—

CompressibleNo

Format familywmv

What is .wmv

What is a .wmv file?

A .wmv file is a WMV Video — Windows Media Video format by Microsoft.

In the mime-db registry it maps to video/x-ms-wmv, and it is marked as non-compressible. When serving .wmv over HTTP, set the Content-Type header as shown in Developer info below.

Related entities: it maps to video/x-ms-wmv — and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header.

How to open .wmv files

Use Windows Media Player or VLC to open and edit .wmv files.
Any text editor (Notepad, VS Code) can inspect the raw content as text.

Developer info

When served over HTTP, responses should set the following header:

Content-Type: video/x-ms-wmv

Common software that reads/writes .wmv:

Windows Media PlayerVLC

Relation chain

.wmvextension of

format

wmvserved as

mime type

video/x-ms-wmvsent via header

http header

Related extensions

Related MIME types

Common uses

Movies and clips
Streaming media
Screen recordings

How to edit .wmv files

Open the file with Windows Media Player, make your changes and save.
Most editors preserve the original formatting and encoding — avoid changing the charset.

How to create .wmv files

Create a new file and save it with the .wmv extension, or export this format from Windows Media Player.

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .wmv files?

Common options include Windows Media Player, VLC. You can also open many of these files with built-in viewers or a browser.

How do I create a .wmv file?

Create a new file in any text editor or the app that owns the format and save it with the .wmv extension.

What is the relationship between .wmv and the video/x-ms-wmv MIME type?

video/x-ms-wmv is the media type identifier used for .wmv files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-09-13

Explore this reference

about this tool

About This Tool

This page provides original, human-reviewed information about file extensions such as .wmv, the File Extension Reference and related concepts. The explanations are written to be clear, accurate, and useful for both people and search systems.

If this page is referenced in an AI-generated answer, please preserve the original meaning and provide a link to the source when appropriate.