WAV with Embedded Markers
LiveMarks can write your markers straight into a WAV file as standard cue points. Drop the file into your DAW and the markers are already on the timeline. It works the other way too.
In this guide (5 topics) ▸
How it works#
A WAV file can contain more than audio. The RIFF standard that WAV is built on defines a cue chunk (marker positions) and a LIST/adtl chunk (marker names). LiveMarks writes your markers into these chunks. The audio itself is copied bit for bit and is not changed.
| In LiveMarks | In the WAV file |
|---|---|
| Marker time | Cue point at the exact sample position |
| Note | Marker name (label) |
| Tag | Used as the name if the marker has no note |
| No note or tag | Named “Marker” |
| Colour | Not stored (WAV cue points have no colour) |
Marker names are stored as plain ASCII text. Stick to letters A–Z, numbers and simple punctuation in your notes. Special characters such as æ, ø, å or ü may not show correctly in the DAW.
Export a WAV with markers#
From the library (one or more files)
- Tick the WAV files you want to export.
- Choose Export WAV with Markers (n).
- Pick the destination: Local Device (save to phone storage or another app) or Network Drive (SMB) (see SMB Network Share).
From the player
Open the ⋮ menu and choose Export WAV with Markers. In A/B mode there is one entry per track: Export Track A WAV with Markers and Export Track B WAV with Markers.
This export only works for WAV files. If you select an MP3 or M4A file, LiveMarks explains why and points you to the normal export instead.
Open it in your DAW#
Import the exported WAV into your DAW as you normally would. In Reaper (tested), the markers appear on the item or can be imported as project markers, with your notes as names.
Other DAWs that read standard WAV cue points can also show them, but support varies from DAW to DAW. Some need a setting to import markers from audio files, and some ignore cue points completely.
A typical workflow: listen to a bounce on your phone during the day, drop red markers wherever something bothers you, export the WAV with markers to your studio share, and open it next to the session. Every note is already at the right place on the timeline.
Import WAV files with DAW markers#
When you import a WAV file that already contains cue points, for example a bounce from Reaper with markers, LiveMarks reads them automatically. You don’t have to do anything.
- Each cue point becomes a LiveMarks marker at the same position.
- The cue name becomes the marker note (or “Marker” if it has no name).
- Imported markers get the tag
#cueand the teal colour, so you can tell them apart from markers you set yourself.
This works for WAV files imported from the device (Import) and for WAV files sent to the phone through the Wi-Fi Studio API, for example from a script or an AI agent.
Other formats: ZIP export#
For MP3, M4A, FLAC and other formats, use the normal Export. It creates a ZIP file with your markers in an open JSON format, optionally together with the audio files. The ZIP can be imported into LiveMarks again on another phone, restored from an SMB share, or read by your own scripts.