How to Hear the Contents of RAR Files

"RAR" is the default file extension for the WinRAR archiver, which is a program that compresses multiple or large files into smaller, more manageable sizes. Once compressed, RAR files should be small enough for emailing or uploading onto USB drives. WinRAR also unpacks these files to display their original contents. If you have received a RAR file that is full of audio items, you must first unpack the file before you can listen to them.

Difficulty: EasyInstructions1

Download and install an archiver program if you do not already own one. WinRAR is not the only program that can unpack a file with the RAR extension; there are plenty of alternatives online (see "Resources" below).

2

Save your RAR file to a secure and easy-to-find location. Ensure that the location is not cluttered with other files because this is where your RAR items will extract to. The RAR file will be filled with audio items, so you may want to save it to a folder in your music directory.

3

Right-click on the RAR file and select the "Extract Here" option from the drop-down menu. The "Extract Here" option will be displayed alongside the logo of your archiver program.

4

Wait while the archiver program extracts the audio items. Most good archiver programs will open a small pop-up window that displays the progress of the extraction. Also, notice that the audio files appear in the folder as they are extracted.

5

Listen to the RAR file items by launching the audio tracks on your PC's media player. Do this by double-clicking on the audio files or by manually adding the tracks to the media player.

Tips & WarningsExtract specific items from the RAR file by right-clicking on it and choosing to "Open With" your archiver program. The program will automatically open and list every item in the RAR file in the main window. Select the specific audio files that you wish to extract and click on the "Extract To" button. Select your destination folder and confirm the extraction. References Rar Lab: What is a RAR file? Webtrickz: Top 10 Free Alternatives to WinRAR and WinZIP Ask About Tech: How to Extract RAR files ResourcesZip Genius: Homepage7 Zip: HomejZip: Offical Website