3 file types use the .vmd file extension.

What is a VMD file?

3D animation file used by MikuMikuDance, a program used to create dance animation movies; stores body motion settings for the dancing routines; can be applied to one or more dancers in the 3D animation.

More Information

Category: 3D Image Files

Covox Raw Sample

A VMD file may also be a raw 8-bit audio sample file used by select Covox audio products, primarily Covox Speech Thing, an external digital-to-analog converter (DAC). It stores uncompressed digital sound data without headers or formatting information. Because of its raw structure, VMD files require compatible software or hardware to interpret the audio correctly.

Covox, an audio hardware company active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, developed the VMD format for use with its digital-to-analog converters and sound playback devices. The Covox Speech Thing, for example, played back VMD samples through a parallel port interface connected to PC speakers. This allowed users to generate and play simple audio recordings or synthesized sounds directly from their computers.

Audio hobbyists or retro computing enthusiasts who work with legacy audio hardware or emulators are the most likely to encounter or use VMD files today. Since VMD files contain raw data, users typically need to know the sample rate and bit depth to play or convert the files properly.

NOTE: VMD files are similar to .VMF Covox Speech Thing files. However, VMF files include format metadata , whereas VMD files do not specify how to interpret their contents.

You can open VMF files with Covoxer in Windows. However, the program is discontinued.

Programs that open VMD files

Updated: July 11, 2025

Sierra VMD Video File

A VMD file may also be a multimedia file used by various CD-ROM video games developed by Sierra Entertainment, most notably Phantasmagoria. It contains video and audio data in the Sierra Video and Music Data (VMD) format. VMD files are typically used for title and logo animations and in-game cutscenes.

You will most likely only encounter a VMD file if you have installed a game that utilizes the TGV format on your computer. Some games that use VMD files besides Phantasmagoria include Betrayal in Antara, SWAT, RAMA, Shivers, Lighthouse, The Last Dynasty, and Torin's Passage.

VMD was developed by Sierra On-Line (now Sierra Entertainment) in the 1990s to store video featured in their CD-ROM video games. Many of the video games that utilize this format are interactive games that feature a large number of cutscenes with human actors in real or 3D animated environments.

The VMD format begins with a header that includes information about the video, such as the video codec version, the width and height of the video frame, and the audio sample rate. Video data is encoded with the Lempel-Ziv (LZ77) algorithm and run-length encoding (RLE). If audio data is included it may be 8-bit raw Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM) samples or 16-bit data encoded with Differential Pulse-Code Modulation (DPCM).

There are few programs that support VMD files since they are rare. The files are primarily only used in games developed by Sierra On-Line in the 1990s.

However, you can open and play VMD videos with the free VLC media player , which is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

You can also convert a VMD file to a more common video format with FFmpeg , then open the converted file with a media player, such as Microsoft Windows Media Player (Windows) or Apple QuickTime Player (macOS).

Programs that open VMD files

Updated: September 11, 2020