A-law WAV Won’t Play in Gmail — Here’s Why and the Fix
Your .wav attachment is encoded as A-law (WAV format code 6), and Gmail won’t play it. A-law is one of the most common telephony codecs in the world — and one browsers don’t support. Here’s the fix.
Play any voicemail attachment directly in Gmail
Gmail Audio Player decodes µ-law, A-law, GSM, AMR and other telephony formats inside your browser. No downloads. First 10 plays free.
What A-law is
A-law is an 8-bit logarithmic companding codec used across European, Australian and most international phone networks. It compresses speech efficiently for telephony, which is why voicemail systems and VoIP providers default to it. In a WAV file it’s tagged as format code 6.
The catch: A-law is a telephony codec, not a web one. Chrome and other browsers never shipped a decoder for it, so a perfectly valid A-law WAV simply won’t play in Gmail’s built-in player.
Quick check
The fix: play A-law inline in Gmail
Gmail Audio Player decodes A-law (and its North American twin, µ-law) directly in your browser. It detects the attachment, converts the audio to standard PCM locally, and shows a working player inside the email — no download or conversion step.
Install it once and every A-law voicemail plays inline, with scrubbing, speed control, and optional AI transcription on paid plans.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between A-law and µ-law?
Both are 8-bit logarithmic telephony codecs. A-law is the standard in Europe, Australia and most of the world; µ-law is standard in North America and Japan. Neither plays natively in a browser, so both fail in Gmail the same way.
How can I tell my WAV is A-law?
Open it in VLC (Tools → Media Information → Codec). A-law shows as format code 6 ("A-law") in the WAV header. If it plays in VLC but not Gmail, it's a telephony codec.
Why won't Chrome add A-law support?
A-law only matters for phone systems, not web media, so browsers have never prioritised it. This has been the case for over a decade with no sign of changing.
Does playing it upload my audio anywhere?
No. Gmail Audio Player decodes A-law locally in your browser. The audio stays on your machine for basic playback.
Related fixes
Play your voicemail attachments inside Gmail.
Fix playback in under two minutes. First 10 plays free, no account required.
Install Free on ChromeWorks instantly in Gmail · No account required · Audio never leaves your browser