# Cannot play the file using Playback

**URL:** <https://community.asterisk.org/t/cannot-play-the-file-using-playback/21978>\
**Category:** Asterisk General\
**Created:** [July 16, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://community.asterisk.org/t/cannot-play-the-file-using-playback/21978 "2008-07-16T05:02:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ajay1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Ajay1](https://community.asterisk.org/u/Ajay1)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://community.asterisk.org/t/cannot-play-the-file-using-playback/21978/1 "2008-07-16T05:02:31Z")

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Hi All,

I am trying to play a file in the macro using the playback, It does’t play.  
I am using this code.

[macro-xyz]  
exten =\> s,1,Playback(/var/lib/asterisk/sounds/business-greetings)  
exten =\> s,2,Playback(/var/lib/asterisk/sounds/service-restrictions)  
exten =\> s,3,Playback(/var/lib/asterisk/sounds/cost-of-call)

I am getting the following error.

```
-- Executing [s@macro-xyz:1] Playback("SIP/1234567899-0901c8c8", "/var/lib/asterisk/sounds/business-greetings") in new stack

```

[Jul 16 10:18:14] WARNING[3855]: format\_wav.c:201 check\_header: Unknown block - not fact or data  
[Jul 16 10:18:14] WARNING[3855]: file.c:316 fn\_wrapper: Unable to open format wav  
[Jul 16 10:18:14] WARNING[3855]: file.c:813 ast\_streamfile: Unable to open /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/business-greetings (format 0x2 (gsm)): No such file or directory  
[Jul 16 10:18:14] WARNING[3855]: app\_playback.c:437 playback\_exec: ast\_streamfile failed on SIP/1234567899-0901c8c8 for /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/business-greetings  
– Executing [s@macro-xyz:2] Playback(“SIP/1234567899-0901c8c8”, “/var/lib/asterisk/sounds/service-restrictions”) in new stack  
[Jul 16 10:18:14] WARNING[3855]: format\_wav.c:201 check\_header: Unknown block - not fact or data  
[Jul 16 10:18:14] WARNING[3855]: file.c:316 fn\_wrapper: Unable to open format wav  
[Jul 16 10:18:14] WARNING[3855]: file.c:813 ast\_streamfile: Unable to open /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/service-restrictions (format 0x2 (gsm)): No such file or directory  
[Jul 16 10:18:14] WARNING[3855]: app\_playback.c:437 playback\_exec: ast\_streamfile failed on SIP/1234567899-0901c8c8 for /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/service-restrictions  
– Executing [s@macro-xyz:3] Playback(“SIP/1234567899-0901c8c8”, “/var/lib/asterisk/sounds/cost-of-call”) in new stack  
– \<SIP/1234567899-0901c8c8\> Playing ‘/var/lib/asterisk/sounds/cost-of-call’ (language ‘en’)

can any one help me, where I am going wrong, and how should I approach to fix it.

Any help is highly appreciated.

Thanks & Regards,  
Ajay1.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![riddlebox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@riddlebox](https://community.asterisk.org/u/riddlebox)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://community.asterisk.org/t/cannot-play-the-file-using-playback/21978/2 "2008-08-04T02:36:43Z")

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What are the files encoded in wav or gsm?