AUD File

What are AUD files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an AUD file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your AUD files.

What is an AUD file?

AUD files have multiple uses, and INRS-Telecom audio is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

INRS-Telecom audio

These AUD files contain a database for speech recognition and speech coding used by INRS-Telecom, a research university in Quebec. These files are created through a recording/playback system used in DEC PDP-11. It makes use of low-level calls to get access to the disk.

How to open AUD files

Important: Different programs may use files with the AUD file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your AUD file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different AUD openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 5, 2026

All known file formats using extension .AUD

While INRS-Telecom audio is a popular type of AUD-file, we know of 3 different uses of the .AUD file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

WeChat Audio message (SILK codec)

These AUD files contain the audio messages created in WeChat. Just like Whatsapp and Facebook, WeChat has a feature that allows you to send voice messages to your contacts. This helps with sending messages while on the move. WeChat's audio is provided by silk.

Westwood Studios Audio

Westwood Studios Audio files with the .AUD extension store music tracks, dialogue, and sound effects used in Westwood Studios' games such as Command & Conquer, Red Alert, Lands of Lore, and Blade Runner. These files supply the audio for in-game speech, effects, and background music, using compression to save space while remaining compatible with the game engine.

Creation happens during the game's production: composers or sound designers export or encode the audio into AUD format before packaging it into the game data files. When you play the game, the engine reads those AUD files to decompress and stream the sound as needed. Users who work with game assets - modders or archivists - often extract AUD files to external players or tools for listening or conversion to WAV or MP3.

The file begins with a header including the sample rate (16-bit little-endian), the size of the data following the header, the size of the decompressed data, and flags indicating channel count (mono or stereo) and bit depth (8-bit or 16-bit). One of the header bytes also specifies the compression type: 0 for uncompressed PCM, 1 for Westwood's sliding-window "WW" compression, or 99 for IMA-ADPCM. Each block of audio frames is prefixed by a frame header consisting of compressed size, decompressed size, and a 4-byte magic word 0x0000DEAF.

AUD opener for Windows

We have identified one AUD opener that is compatible with this specific type of AUD file.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of AUD files. Remember, different programs may use AUD files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about AUD file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.