Tools
BRSTM tools
Updated October 18, 2026
BRSTM inspector
Drop a .brstm file and instantly see everything inside it: whether it is valid, its codec, sample rate, channels and tracks, length and, above all, where its loop starts and ends, with the waveform drawn. You can listen to exactly where the loop joins to check there is no jump.
Drop a .brstm file here or pick one from your device
It is the same engine the player uses, so if the inspector says the file is valid, BRSTM Player will play it. If it is not, it tells you why: damaged header, truncated file, another format with a renamed extension…
Loop point calculator
BRSTM loop points are stored in samples (each of the sound "snapshots" taken every second), but audio editors usually show time. Converting between them means multiplying or dividing by the sample rate. This calculator does it for you, both ways:
- Intro before the loop
- 0:04.823
- Loop length
- 1:01.327 (1,962,450 samples)
Type in either box and the other one is calculated for you. Samples = seconds × sample rate. BRSTM tools work in samples; audio editors usually work in time.
To play BRSTM files
Besides BRSTM Player (library, playlists, per-track timing, mobile), these are the best-known options:
Nikku
Open-source web player with no account: open a file and listen to it on a loop. It also reads BCSTM and BFSTM. BRSTM Player's engine started from it.
Official websitefoobar2000 + vgmstream
The classic desktop player with the vgmstream component, which adds hundreds of video game formats (BRSTM included) and can repeat loops.
Official websitevgmstream
The reference library for video game audio. It has a command-line version and plugins for Winamp, foobar2000 and Audacious.
Official website
To make and convert BRSTM files
If you want to turn your own audio (WAV, MP3, OGG…) into a looping BRSTM, or move between BRSTM and its sibling formats, these tools are free and open source. The guide to making a BRSTM walks you through the whole process.
LoopingAudioConverter
A windowed program (no commands) to batch-convert between looping formats: from WAV, MP3 or OGG to BRSTM, BCSTM, BFSTM and more. It keeps loop points or lets you set them. The easiest place to start.
Official websiteVGAudio
A very accurate command-line converter between BRSTM, BCSTM, BFSTM, DSP, HCA, WAV and more, with options to set the loop in samples.
Official websiteOpenRevolution
Tools by the people behind Smash Custom Music: lossless conversion between BRSTM and other Nintendo ADPCM formats, plus editing and playback from the command line.
Official websiteBrawlCrate
Super Smash Bros. Brawl file editor (BrawlBox's successor). It creates BRSTM files from a WAV and replaces stage music in mods.
Official website
To find the loop point
The trickiest part of a BRSTM is the loop: the exact moment the theme jumps back without you noticing. To find it:
Audacity
Free, open-source audio editor. Switch the selection format to "samples" to read exact loop points and loop the selected region while you listen.
Official websitePyMusicLooper
Analyzes a song and automatically suggests the best loop points; it can also export them or split the audio into intro, loop and outro.
Official website
Then convert the values to samples with this page's calculator and check the result with the inspector.
To listen to or extract the audio from your games
vgmstream can also decode the music of games you own to WAV, loops included, so you can edit it later. Only do this with copies you own and for personal use: sharing a game's music without permission may infringe its authors' rights. We explain this in Copyright.
BRSTM and its sibling formats
Nintendo has used the same idea —audio with loop points— across several console generations. BRSTM Player plays BRSTM; for the rest, use the converters above.
| Format | Console | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BRSTM (.brstm) | Wii | The one this player uses. DSP-ADPCM or PCM, with a loop. Widely used by the community for custom music. |
| BCSTM (.bcstm) | Nintendo 3DS | Same structure, adapted to the 3DS. |
| BFSTM (.bfstm) | Wii U and Nintendo Switch | Successor to BRSTM and BCSTM. |
| BWAV (.bwav) | Nintendo Switch | Stored inside BARS archives. |
| NUS3AUDIO (.nus3audio) | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Opus audio; not interchangeable with BRSTM without converting. |
| DSP, HPS, ADX… | GameCube and others | Audio formats from GameCube games; they convert to BRSTM with the tools above. |
To learn more
- WiiBrew: BRSTM file — the technical description of the format, chunk by chunk.
- Smash Custom Music — the go-to community for music in Nintendo game mods, with its own tools section and FAQ.
- Our guides: What is a BRSTM?, how to play them and how to make a looping one.