AUP3-WAL File

What are AUP3-WAL files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an AUP3-WAL 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 AUP3-WAL files.

What is an AUP3-WAL file?

An .AUP3-WAL file is an Audacity 3 Temporary Data file.

Audacity 3 Temporary Data files store ongoing editing work while an Audacity 3.x project is open. They are used by Audacity to log recent changes in its project database before those changes are fully saved. They do not represent completed audio output and cannot be opened or exported like ordinary audio files.

These temporary files are created automatically alongside the main Audacity project file (which carries the extension AUP3) whenever the project is open. Audacity writes recent edits and other in-progress changes to these files to avoid data loss. When the project is closed properly, all outstanding data is merged into the main AUP3 file and the temporary files are deleted. Manipulating or deleting them before closing the project may corrupt the project.

The format is part of the SQLite database system used by Audacity: the "WAL" part stands for Write-Ahead Log. It temporarily holds database transactions not yet committed to the main database file. On Windows, there is usually another file (SHM) for shared-memory indexing. On macOS only the WAL file is used.

AUP3-WAL files can be recognized by specific internal byte marks and strings. For example the file begins with the sequence of bytes "0x377F0682002DE21800010000000000" at offset zero. Inside the file are recognizable ASCII strings like "AUDACITYPROJECT-1.3.0DTD", "AUDACITYVERSION", "WAVETRACK", "ENVELOPE", "SAMPLEFORMAT", among many others.

How to open AUP3-WAL files

Important: Different programs may use files with the AUP3-WAL file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your AUP3-WAL file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

We have not yet verified any programs for Windows that work with this specific file format. If you know one, please use the 'Suggest a program' link below. Thanks!

Last updated: August 22, 2026

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