What is the AIFF file format?
.aiff is a lossless audio file format developed by Apple, built on the IFF chunk-based structure originally defined by Electronic Arts.
.aiff files are used for storing audio data encoded in PCM format, making the .aiff file a high-quality audio storage choice. The format supports various encoding parameters, with the most common being 44.1 kHz sample rate with 16 bits per sample - the same specification used for audio CDs. A related variant, AIFF-C (.aifc), extends the specification with optional compression codecs including µ-law, A-law, and SOWT (little-endian PCM). Besides audio tracks, .aiff files can also be used to save effects data (loops, for example) or audio sample metadata in optional chunks such as MARK and INST.
.aiff is in a way the macOS equivalent of the .WAV standard. It is most commonly employed for storing audio CD data. Lossless .aiff format offers high-quality audio for the price of large file size - a stereo 44.1 kHz 16-bit recording occupies roughly 10 MB per minute, making it a poor candidate for sharing audio data over the web. However, in professional audio editing (recording studios and post-production), .aiff files are used extensively, particularly in Apple Logic Pro and Pro Tools workflows. Apple's .CAF format has taken over some professional roles since 2006, but .aiff remains widely supported across platforms.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWAIFF is an audio format with no macro/script capability. Risk is negligible. Standard media-parsing vulnerabilities apply theoretically but are rare for AIFF. Download only from trusted sources.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEAudio Interchange File Formataka AIFF audio, Apple AIFF
DEVELOPERApple Inc. (based on EA IFF 85 by Electronic Arts)since January 21, 1988 (AIFF 1.1 specification)
CATEGORYAudio Files
MIME TYPEaudio/aiff
TYPEIFF-based lossless audio container
STANDARDOpen · royalty-free
MAGIC BYTES · FILE SIGNATURE
OFFSET
00010203
HEX
464F524D
ASCII
FORM
Full identification requires two 4-byte markers: 'FORM' (46 4F 52 4D) at offset 0, then 'AIFF' (41 49 46 46) at offset 8. AIFF-C (compressed) uses 'AIFC' at offset 8. Do not rely on 'FORM' alone - other IFF-family files share this header.
Programs that open AIFF files
Windows6 apps
Winamp
Free Drag & drop AIFF file into Winamp playlist. Winamp relaunched in 2023 with active development. 
iTunes / Apple Music for Windows
Free Open AIFF via File → Add File to Library; plays and can convert to AAC/MP3. 
macOS5 apps
Apple Logic Pro
Paid Import into project via File → Import Audio Files; full editing and export to other formats.
Apple Music (iTunes)
Free Double-click the AIFF file; it opens and plays in Apple Music. Drag to library to add to collection. 
Linux2 apps
Android1 app
Technical details
deep spec| Container | IFF (EA Interchange File Format 85) - chunk-based: 4-byte chunk ID + 4-byte size + data payload |
| Magic bytes | 'FORM' (46 4F 52 4D) at offset 0; 'AIFF' (41 49 46 46) at offset 8; AIFF-C files use 'AIFC' at offset 8 |
| Byte order | Big-endian (Motorola convention, inherited from Mac 68k architecture) |
| Audio data chunk | SSND chunk holds raw LPCM samples; channels are interleaved |
| Sample rate precision | Stored as an 80-bit IEEE 754 extended-precision float in the COMM chunk - accurately represents any sample rate without rounding |
| Supported bit depths | 8, 16, 20, 24, or 32 bits per sample (declared in COMM chunk) |
| Typical sample rates | 8 kHz to 192 kHz; 44.1 kHz (CD audio) and 48 kHz (broadcast) most common |
| AIFF-C compression | SOWT (little-endian PCM), µ-law, A-law, FLAC, and others; compression type is a 4-byte code in the COMM chunk |
| Typical file size | ~10 MB/min (stereo, 44.1 kHz, 16-bit); ~34 MB/min (stereo, 96 kHz, 24-bit) |
| Optional metadata chunks | MARK (loop/cue points), INST (sampler data), MIDI, NAME, AUTH, ANNO |
| Channel support | Any number of channels declared in COMM chunk; mono, stereo, and multichannel all supported |
| MIME type | audio/aiff; also audio/x-aiff and audio/x-aifc |
| Professional use | Widely used in Apple Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and GarageBand; supported across major DAWs on Windows and Linux |
| Released | January 21, 1988 (AIFF 1.1 specification) |
| Latest version | AIFF-C (AIFF with compression) 1989; AIFF 1.3 spec is the current reference |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.mmsp.ece.mcgill.ca |
AIFF conversions
Possible
.AIFF .WAVGUIDE
Yes, you can convert AIFF to WAV with no quality loss, and the fastest free way is a single FFmpeg command.
How to convert
.AIFF .AACGUIDE
Yes, you can convert AIFF to AAC, and the fastest way is a right-click in iTunes/Apple Music ("Create AAC…
How to convert
.AIFF .MP3GUIDE
Yes, you can convert AIFF to MP3, and the fastest way is a right-click "Create MP3 Version" in iTunes or…
How to convert
.AIFF .FLACGUIDE
Yes. The fastest way is one FFmpeg command, or File then Export then FLAC in Audacity.
How to convert
.AIFF .AUGUIDE
Yes, you can convert AIFF to AU. The fastest way is a single FFmpeg command, since both formats hold…
How to convert
.AIFF .MOVGUIDE
Yes, you can wrap AIFF audio inside a MOV container, and FFmpeg does it fastest with a single command.
How to convert
.AIFF .AC3GUIDE
Yes, you can convert AIFF to AC3, and the fastest way is a single FFmpeg command.
How to convert
.AIFF .M4AGUIDE
Yes, you can convert AIFF to M4A, and the fastest way is right-clicking the track in iTunes/Apple Music and…
How to convert
.AIFF .MPCGUIDE
Yes, you can convert AIFF to MPC, and the fastest way is a single FFmpeg command (with the Musepack encoder…
How to convert
.AIFF .M4RGUIDE
Yes, you can turn an AIFF into an M4R ringtone by encoding it to AAC, trimming it to 30 seconds or less, and…
How to convert
.AIFF .TAKGUIDE
Yes, you can convert AIFF to TAK without losing quality, and the fastest way is foobar2000 with the free TAK…
How to convert
.AIFF .3GPGUIDE
Yes, you can put AIFF audio into a 3GP container, and the fastest way is a single FFmpeg command that…
How to convert
Not possible
.AIFF .SF2WHY NOT?
No. An AIFF file is a single audio recording, while SF2 is an instrument bank that maps samples to keys with…
.AIFF .AAFWHY NOT?
No. AIFF holds audio samples, while AAF is a metadata wrapper that references media and edit decisions. There…
.AIFF .AUPWHY NOT?
No. AIFF holds audio, but AUP is an Audacity project descriptor, not an audio file. There is nothing to…
.AIFF .TEXTWHY NOT?
No. AIFF holds uncompressed PCM audio samples, not words. There is nothing to write out as text.
.AIFF .TXTWHY NOT?
No. An AIFF file holds uncompressed PCM audio samples, not text. There is no meaningful way to turn sound…
.AIFF .NKIWHY NOT?
No. An AIFF file holds recorded audio, while an NKI file is a Native Instruments Kontakt instrument preset.…
.AIFF .SABLWHY NOT?
No. SABL is Sony's proprietary ATRAC Lossless format, and the only software that ever wrote it is…
.AIFF .SABSWHY NOT?
No. SABS is a closed Sony ATRAC Lossless container with no public converter, and the only tools that ever…
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about AIFF files.
Frequently asked questions
Can Windows Media Player open AIFF files?
No, not natively. Use VLC (free, open-source) or iTunes for Windows as alternatives on Windows.
Is AIFF the same quality as WAV?
Yes - both are uncompressed lossless PCM audio. AIFF is big-endian (Apple/Mac) and WAV is little-endian (Windows). Quality is identical at the same bit depth and sample rate.
How do I convert AIFF to MP3?
In iTunes/Apple Music: right-click the track → Create MP3 Version. Or use Audacity (File → Export → MP3) or an online audio converter.
Why are AIFF files so large?
AIFF stores uncompressed PCM audio. Stereo 44.1 kHz 16-bit AIFF is ~10 MB per minute. Convert to MP3 (lossy) or FLAC (lossless compressed) to reduce size.
What is the difference between .aiff and .aif?
They are the same format; .aif is a 3-character shortened version of .aiff used historically by older file systems. Rename freely.
What is AIFF-C (.aifc)?
AIFF-C is an extension of AIFF that adds optional compression (ulaw, alaw, SOWT, FLAC). SOWT is particularly common - it is uncompressed PCM in little-endian byte order, avoiding byte-swapping on Intel hardware.
Does iOS support AIFF?
Yes - iOS natively plays AIFF in the Music app and other media players. AIFF is part of Apple's Core Audio framework.
References
1Wikipedia - Audio Interchange File Formaten.wikipedia.org
2Apple - Core Audio Format Specificationdeveloper.apple.com
