BNK File

What are BNK files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a BNK 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 BNK files.

What is a BNK file?

BNK files have multiple uses, and Spotify Playlist is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Spotify Playlist File

These BNK files are called Spotify playlists in a proprietary file format developed by Spotify, Ltd. . Spotify is a music streaming application with versions for Windows PCs, Mac OS X, and Linux computers, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices.

A BNK file contains references, metadata details, and locations of music tracks that have been added to the Spotify playlist. These .bnk files do not store the actual audio files. Instead, the Spotify application loads these music tracks and streams them upon opening these BNK files.

How to open BNK files

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

Programs that open Spotify Playlist files

Last updated: August 24, 2026

All known file formats using extension .BNK

While Spotify Playlist File is a popular type of BNK-file, we know of 10 different uses of the .BNK file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

ExamView Question Bank File

ExamView Question Bank File (.BNK) is a data file used by the ExamView suite from Turning Technologies to store a collection of assessment questions. Teachers or content authors working in ExamView use the program's Question Bank Editor or Test Generator to compile multiple questions - multiple choice, matching, short answer, etc. - into a single file packaging these questions for reuse, modification, or inclusion in tests.

These files are created (written) when the user saves or exports a question bank within ExamView; they serve as the source repository of questions which ExamView later reads to build tests, print quizzes, or export in formats such as RTF, HTML, or LMS-compatible ZIP packages. Once saved, .BNK files are managed within a "Banks" folder in the ExamView file structure, often organised by subject, grade level, or textbook title.

Files begin with a distinctive signature allowing programs to recognize them: at offset 0 the ASCII string ".FSCBNK" appears, which identifies it as the ExamView Question Bank format.

BNK opener for Windows

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

Adlib Instrument Bank File

The Adlib Instrument Bank File format is used to bundle together many instrument definitions created for Adlib FM synthesis hardware. It was introduced by Ad Lib, Inc. in version 1.5 of Adlib Visual Composer in early 1989. It packages together instrument data that would otherwise be stored individually, together with their names, so that music sequences (in formats like ROL) can refer to named instruments rather than separate files.

Each instrument in the bank defines sound-parameters for the OPL2 FM-chip including operator settings (modulator and carrier), waveform selection, voice type (melodic or percussive), voice number (for percussion), and envelope and modulation characteristics. The file is created using Adlib Visual Composer (Instrument Maker and Bank Manager utilities) and is consumed by systems that play ROL or similar Adlib format music, which reference the bundled instruments.

The header of the file begins with two version bytes (major and minor), followed by the ASCII signature "ADLIB-". Then it has counts for how many instrument entries are used and how many total are present, offsets to the list of instrument names and to the instrument data section, plus padding bytes. After the header comes the instrument names section (each entry has an index pointing into the data section, a flag indicating whether the entry is in use, and a null-terminated name of up to 8 characters), followed by the instrument data section with one record per instrument, each defining voice type, operator register settings, waveform selectors, etc.

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

Native Instruments Preset Bank File

We know that one BNK format is Native Instruments Preset Bank File. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Wwise Sound Bank File

Wwise Sound Bank File is a file format used by Wwise, the interactive audio middleware from Audiokinetic, to bundle together a game's audio content along with metadata defining how sounds behave, are triggered, routed, and managed during runtime. It enables a game or interactive application to load audio data and its control information efficiently in sections called SoundBanks, one of which is the automatically generated initialization SoundBank that holds project-wide settings like buses, states, switches, and effects.

These files are created by Wwise during SoundBank generation, typically by the sound designer using Wwise Authoring tools. They are loaded by the Wwise Sound Engine in runtime, which reads both the raw media (for example compressed audio) and the metadata about events, containers, and how audio objects relate to each other. SoundBanks may be loaded or unloaded at different times during execution to manage memory usage. The initialization bank must always be loaded first. SoundBanks can reference audio files either embedded within the file or streamed externally.

Files begin with a bank header section, often marked by the ASCII tag BKHD, which includes the bank's version, ID, and other configuration values. Another required section is HIRC, which describes the hierarchy of objects such as Sounds, Events, Switch Containers, etc. Additional sections like DIDX (Data Index) map embedded audio files to offsets, DATA holds the embedded audio data (often WEM files), and STID maps hashed IDs to names when name usage is enabled.

Sound Club 2 Sound Bank File

We know that one BNK format is Sound Club 2 Sound Bank File. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

The Need For Speed Sound Bank File

The Need For Speed Sound Bank File is a container used in early Electronic Arts racing games to store multiple sound effects such as engine noises, shifting, horns, tire squeals, and other in-game audio effects. It is produced by EA as part of the game's resource files, typically paired with larger containers like VIV or CRD. These banks are not music tracks or voiceovers; they hold short sound samples used in gameplay to enhance immersion.

Each sound bank contains several individual sound entries. Game tools read this format to locate and decode each sample when the game is played. Editors or modding tools extract those samples, possibly loop them, then repackage them so the game can load them from the sound bank during runtime. Creation is done by EA's content pipeline; users extracting or modifying must respect the internal structure of headers and sample data.

Internally, the file includes sections where headers with the ASCII identifier EACS mark the start of each sound entry. An EACS header carries fields such as sample rate, bit depth, number of channels, compression type, number of samples, loop start-length, and data start offset relative to the file. Sample data follows immediately at that offset, either in raw PCM or in IMA ADPCM compressed form.

Byte signatures include "EACS" placed inside the file (offsets vary), often around offset 0x228 but not always, which signal where individual sound entries begin. The file may also have a "BNKl" identifier in newer banks, and version fields to distinguish older and newer layouts.

ARIA Samples Bank

We know that one BNK format is ARIA Samples Bank. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Avatar Studio Bank Descriptor

We know that one BNK format is Avatar Studio Bank Descriptor. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Electronic Arts Audio Bank

Electronic Arts Audio Bank files are resource bundles used in older games made by Electronic Arts to store sound effects and speech clips. The files collect multiple short audio items (e.g. sounds for effects or voices) into one package for efficient loading and playback in-game. They are not typically used for streaming full-length music tracks.

These banks are produced by EA's own tools for games such as FIFA '96, NBA Live '96, NHL '96, NHL '97 and The Need For Speed. Software that handles these .BNK files extracts individual audio items by reading headers within the file that index each sound and locate its raw audio data. Game engines then load those sounds during play, decoding them if they are compressed, and play them as needed.

The structure begins with a header identifying the bank format ("BNKl"), followed by fields including a version number, a count of embedded sounds, and a pointer to where the first sound starts. Hidden inside are file‐offset entries for each sound, along with "EACS"‐marked sub‐headers for each sound. Each sound's header gives its sample rate, bit depth, channel count, compression type, loop points, number of samples, and where the data begins. The sound data itself follows directly, either as raw PCM or compressed ADPCM.

The file signature begins with the ASCII string "BNK1" at offset zero.

Various apps that use files with this extension

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

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