Windows Media Audio (WMA) is a proprietary audio codec developed by Microsoft. It is used for storing and playing audio files, often with digital rights management (DRM) features to protect copyrighted content. WMA offers various encoding options, including lossy compression for smaller file sizes and lossless compression for preserving audio quality. It was initially designed as a competitor to MP3, offering improved audio quality at similar bitrates. WMA files can be streamed over the internet and are commonly used for distributing music and audiobooks. While once a popular format, its usage has declined with the rise of other codecs like AAC and the increasing prevalence of streaming services. WMA files can be protected with DRM, restricting copying or playback on unauthorized devices. Different versions of the WMA codec exist, each offering improvements in compression efficiency and audio quality. WMA Pro, for example, supports multi-channel audio and higher bitrates.