AIFF file (Audio Interchange File Format)
Uncompressed Apple audio, the Mac counterpart to WAV.
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Convert AIFF to MP3, free and without uploading it.
What is an AIFF file?
In short: An AIFF file (.aiff) is an audio file in the AIFF format. AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format, and it is essentially WAV with the bytes in the opposite order. It can be converted to MP3, WAV or FLAC for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.
Created by Apple in 1988, based on Electronic Arts' Interchange File Format.
AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format, and it is essentially WAV with the bytes in the opposite order. It stores raw samples at full quality and is the traditional working format in Mac-based recording studios.
What AIFF is good at
- Completely lossless
- Better metadata support than WAV
- The native uncompressed format on macOS
Where AIFF falls short
- As large as WAV, around 10 MB a minute
- Less universally supported than WAV
- No advantage over WAV outside Apple software
When to use AIFF
Use AIFF when working in Logic or another Mac audio application that prefers it. WAV is the safer interchange choice.
How to open an AIFF file
macOS, professional audio software, and most desktop players.
| Windows | VLC or foobar2000. Windows Media Player will usually refuse it. |
|---|---|
| macOS | Opens natively in Music and QuickTime — it is Apple’s own uncompressed format. |
| Linux | VLC, Audacity and most players read it. |
| Phone | Plays on iOS natively. Android needs VLC. |
| In a browser | Safari plays AIFF. Chrome and Firefox often will not. |
The thing that usually goes wrong
AIFF and WAV are the same audio at the same size; only the byte order and metadata differ. Converting between them changes nothing you can hear.
Not sure the file really is an AIFF? Identify it by its contents, whatever its extension says.
Questions
What is an AIFF file?
AIFF stands for Audio Interchange File Format. Uncompressed Apple audio, the Mac counterpart to WAV. Files use the .aiff extension.
What does AIFF stand for?
AIFF stands for Audio Interchange File Format.
How do I open an AIFF file?
On Windows: VLC or foobar2000. Windows Media Player will usually refuse it. On a Mac: Opens natively in Music and QuickTime — it is Apple’s own uncompressed format. On a phone: Plays on iOS natively. Android needs VLC. Or convert an AIFF here to a format that opens everywhere, free and without uploading it.
Can I convert AIFF for free?
Yes. Every conversion here is free and unlimited, because your own device does the work rather than a server we have to pay for.
Is AIFF lossless?
Yes. AIFF stores every sample exactly, at the cost of a larger file.