chunk

The term chunk is used in various file formats, such as the Interchange File Format( IFF), Resource Interchange File Format ( RIFF), Audio Interchange File Format( AIFF), Audio Video Interleave( AVI), Waveform Audio File(WAV), the MIDI interface and the FLIC file format.

A chunk is a logical block of data within a file or stream that is independent of the data content, always has the same structure, and consists of a sequence of data packets. A chunk can contain certain format parameters, such as information about the channel number, the number of data frames, the sampling rate, the recording size, etc. but also information about the recording format and consist of several smaller data blocks, the subchunks.

Chunks can be redefined by the user and added to the file format. If it is an unknown chunk type, it does not affect compatibility because it is not interpreted by the program.