RealAudio Player
Play RealAudio (RA) files directly in your browser. Powered by FFmpeg WebAssembly. Open old .ra recordings from the RealPlayer era without installing RealPlayer.
Drop your audio file here
or click to browse
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What is RealAudio Player?
The RealAudio Player plays .ra files in your browser. RealAudio was the main web audio format of the late 1990s, and current players often cannot open it. Choose a file, wait for FFmpeg to load, and press play.
How does RealAudio Player work?
RealAudio is a proprietary audio format from RealNetworks, built for streaming over dial-up connections. Files use the RealMedia container and codecs such as 14.4, 28.8, Cook, and Sipro, depending on the bitrate they were encoded for.
This tool uses FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly to read the RealMedia container, decode the audio, and convert it to 16-bit PCM at 44.1 kHz for the Web Audio player.
Key Features
- Reads the RealMedia container with FFmpeg
- Decodes the 14.4 and 28.8 voice codecs
- Decodes the Cook and Sipro codecs used for music and speech
- Output is 16-bit PCM at 44.1 kHz
- Play, pause, and seek controls
- Decoding runs in WebAssembly on your device
Common Use Cases
Recover old radio and interview recordings
Play archived .ra files from websites and broadcasts of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Open a RealAudio file without RealPlayer
Listen to .ra files on a current computer where RealPlayer is no longer installed.
Check an archive before digitizing it
Confirm that an old collection of .ra files still plays before you plan a conversion project.
Listen to early web audio
Play historic clips saved from the early streaming web.
How to Use This Tool
Choose an RA file
Click the upload area or drop a .ra file onto it.
Wait for FFmpeg
The decoder loads on first use and stays loaded for the rest of the session.
Start playback
Press play to hear the decoded RealAudio stream.
Pause or seek
Use the player controls to pause, resume, or jump to another position in the file.
Pro Tips
- 1
Low-bitrate RealAudio sounds muffled by design. It was made for 14.4 and 28.8 kbps modems.
- 2
A .ram file is a short text pointer to a stream address, not audio. Only .ra files contain audio you can play here.
- 3
Files with the .rm extension hold video as well and are not the target of this player.
- 4
Playback is mono or stereo depending on the source, and always output as stereo.
- 5
Keep a lossless copy if you plan to preserve an old recording.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I open an RA file?
Choose the .ra file in the RealAudio Player and press play. FFmpeg decodes the file in your browser, so RealPlayer is not needed.
What is a RealAudio file?
RealAudio is an audio format made by RealNetworks for streaming over slow internet connections. Files end in .ra and use the RealMedia container.
Can I play RAM files?
No. A .ram file is a text file that points to a stream address and holds no audio, so there is nothing to decode. Only .ra files contain audio.
What is the difference between RA and RM files?
RA files hold audio only. RM files use the same RealMedia family but can also hold video, so results vary when you open one here.