Convert WAV to BFSTM online for Wii U and Switch music mods, with WAV loop points kept. Upload files up to 20GB and download the converted result in a few clicks.
Convert BFSTM to WAVDrag & Drop your WAV file here
WAV files, up to 20GB
Files stay private.
Automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Link
20GB upload limit.
4.8/5
Trusted for 1,827,796+ conversions
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps, no account, nothing to install.
01
Upload your WAV file
Drag and drop a .wav file or select it from your device. For a looping BFSTM, save loop points in the WAV's smpl chunk with Wavosaur, Awave or a sampler editor first.
02
Convert to BFSTM
Keep BFSTM as the output format and start. The audio is encoded as 4-bit DSP-ADPCM, about 400 kbps for 44.1 kHz stereo, in the Wii U byte order.
03
Download the BFSTM
Download one .bfstm file per WAV and play it in vgmstream or a player built on it.
WAV
WAV is a RIFF-based audio format commonly used for uncompressed PCM audio. Audio editors, recorders and game audio tools such as vgmstream save WAV files, and loop editors such as Wavosaur store loop points in its smpl chunk.
BFSTM
BFSTM is the streamed audio format (FSTM) of Wii U and Nintendo Switch games, used mostly for background music. Wii U games use a big-endian variant and Switch games a little-endian one, and the two are not interchangeable. It usually holds 4-bit DSP-ADPCM audio and can store a loop.
FILE FORMATS
SOURCE
Microsoft and IBM defined WAV in 1991. It normally stores plain PCM audio with no compression, which is why editors, DAWs, broadcast systems and speech tools accept it without question. The price is size: CD-quality stereo takes about 10 MB per minute, and tagging support is limited.
TARGET
Binary Cafe Stream files carry background music in Wii U and Switch titles. Most use Nintendo's DSP-ADPCM codec at about a quarter of the PCM size, some use PCM16, and many hold several stereo tracks that the game mixes live. Loop points in the header let a track repeat forever without a gap.
| Feature | WAV | BFSTM |
|---|---|---|
| Developed by | Microsoft and IBM | Nintendo |
| File extension | .wav | .bfstm |
| Compression | None (PCM) | DSP-ADPCM or PCM |
| Size vs uncompressed WAV | Same size (1:1) | About 1/4 (ADPCM) |
| Tags and cover art | Basic text tags, no cover art | Loop points, no tags |
| Best for | Editing, mastering, speech tools | Wii U and Switch game music |
| Plays on phones and browsers | Yes | No, needs vgmstream |
USE CASES
Practical workflows where WAV to BFSTM conversion is useful.
Replace music in a Wii U game mod
Modders swapping a Wii U game's background music can make a big-endian BFSTM from a WAV, with the loop taken from the WAV's smpl chunk.
Make a song loop
Set loop points in Wavosaur, Awave or a sampler editor, then convert. The loop start is moved to a DSP block boundary, the loop length stays the same and the file ends at the loop end.
Port a Wii song to a Wii U mod
Decode a BRSTM with our BRSTM-to-WAV tool, add loop points if the song should repeat, and convert the WAV to BFSTM.
Keep the loop of an RF64 recording
RF64 and BW64 recordings keep the loop points stored in their smpl chunk, rescaled if the sample rate changes.
Mix a surround track down to stereo
A 5.1 or 7.1 WAV with a speaker layout becomes a stereo BFSTM, so a surround export works without a separate stereo mix.
Keep every channel of a multi-track WAV
A WAV with more than two channels and no speaker layout, as vgmstream writes multi-track streams, keeps all its channels in the BFSTM.
Convert a 96 kHz master
WAVs above 48 kHz become 48 kHz BFSTMs, with loop points rescaled to the new rate.
Add music to a Wii U homebrew project
Homebrew developers can turn their own WAV music into looping or one-shot BFSTM streams.
Make BFSTM test files for tools
Authors of BFSTM players and modding tools can make big-endian FSTM test files from WAVs: mono, stereo, looping or multi-channel.
Use sounds from an old sample library
WAVs stored as A-law, IMA or Microsoft ADPCM, float or MP3 inside WAV convert directly, as do recordings whose header sizes were never filled in.
SUPPORTED FILES
Most kinds of WAV are supported, including looped ones.
Loops in a smpl chunk are kept.
Every channel is kept for multi-track streams.
Common WAV encodings are read.
Large and broadcast WAVs work.
Custom music for games that use BFSTM.
Only convert audio you own or have permission to use. Having a file doesn't automatically give you the right to put it into someone else's game.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Most problems come down to settings the game expects, not the conversion itself.
01
The loop start moves forward to the next DSP block, at most about 0.3 seconds at 44.1 or 48 kHz, while the loop length stays the same.
02
Add loop points to a smpl chunk before converting.
03
The game probably expects a different sample rate. Check an original file from the game and match its rate before converting.
04
Games that mix stream tracks live expect a specific channel count. Match the original file's tracks.
05
Compare your track's loudness with the game's other audio and adjust it before converting.
06
Make sure the new file uses the exact name and folder of the one it replaces, then test it in the actual game or build.
VGAudio, LoopingAudioConverter and BrawlCrate encode Nintendo and CRI formats once installed. dragdropdo runs VGAudio in the browser, so you can turn WAV into BFSTM on any device.
| What matters | dragdropdo | VGAudio and Desktop Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to install | ✓Yes. Runs in any modern browser. | ~Yes. Windows tools or the .NET command line. |
| Works on phones and tablets | ✓Yes. Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad. | ~No. Desktop only. |
| Batch conversion | ✓Yes. Add many files and download one ZIP. | ~Yes, with LoopingAudioConverter or scripts. |
| Share finished files | ✓Yes. Send a unique link from the result page. | ~You upload and share the files yourself. |
| Pricing | ✓Free with daily limits. $2.99 or $6.99 passes for unlimited use, no monthly plan. | ~Free. |
| Setting loop points | ✓Read from a WAV's smpl chunk. MP3 sources play once. | ~Yes. Most let you type loop points directly. |
Other tools use different pricing, limits and workflows. This comparison describes dragdropdo's own features without assuming every other tool works the same way.
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WHY DRAGDROPDO
Convert WAV to BFSTM in your browser, with nothing to install and nothing kept after 24 hours.
Private by default
Files are encrypted in transit and deleted from our servers automatically after 24 hours.
No install required
Convert in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone or iPad. No app and no sign-up wall.
Big files and batches
Upload files up to 20GB each, add several at once, and download the results one by one or as a ZIP.
Share & download
Save finished files to your device or pass them on with a share link from the result page.
MORE WAV TOOLS
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is a standard audio file format used for storing waveform data. It delivers high-quality audio and is widely used in professional environments for music production and sound design. With its uncompressed format, WAV files ensure top fidelity, making them ideal for editing and mastering. Perfect for audio enthusiasts and professionals alike, WAV files guarantee an exceptional listening experience.
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FAQ
Answers to common questions about dragdropdo's WAV to BFSTM converter.
