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AAC to AIFF converter

Turn an AAC or M4A file into uncompressed AIFF for Logic Pro, GarageBand, a sampler or a CD. Free, one file up to 200 MB, no account.

Choose a file or drag it here
MP3, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WMA, AIFF, WAV, M4A (up to 200 MB)
Input
AAC files
Uitvoer
AIFF, 16-bit PCM
Limit
Up to 200 MB
Price
Free, no account

How to convert AAC to AIFF

  1. 01

    Choose your AAC file

    Drop it on the box or pick it from your device. The limit is 200 MB per file.

  2. 02

    Check what changes

    The table under your file shows the AIFF's size, audio and tags. Select Convert, and a short security check runs first.

  3. 03

    Download the AIFF

    Select Download when the conversion finishes. Download links expire after one day.

Will the AIFF sound better than the AAC?

No. The AIFF holds the same sound, in a format more apps can edit.

AAC removes detail when a file is first encoded, mostly high frequencies you hear least. The AIFF stores what the AAC decodes to as 16-bit samples, so nothing comes back. You get a file that samplers, CD tools and older editors accept, and that you can cut and re-save without losing more quality. Logic Pro and GarageBand also import AAC directly.

Original recording

1.6 MB

20 kHz10 kHz

Your AAC

147 KB

20 kHz10 kHzRemoved above about 17 kHz

The AIFF

1.6 MB

20 kHz10 kHzStill missing
The same 9 seconds of music, frequency against time. The AIFF is ten times the size of the AAC and looks the same, because its samples match a 16-bit decode of the AAC exactly.

AAC vs AIFF

AAC is lossy: it removes detail to make the file about 10 times smaller. AIFF is Apple's uncompressed format and stores every sample. Converting from AAC to AIFF gives you the size of AIFF and the detail of the AAC.

Every sample keptAIFF, WAV, FLAC, ALACDetail removedAAC, MP3, OGG0.5 MB1 MB2 MB4 MB8 MB16 MB128 kbps256 kbpsFLAC, ALACAIFF, WAVAAC → AIFF: 11× bigger, same detailYour AIFFcan't move up
Size of one stereo minute at 44.1 kHz, on a log scale. FLAC and ALAC compress without loss, so their size depends on the music; about half of AIFF is typical.
PropertyAACAIFFWAVALACFLAC
CompressionLossyNoneNoneLosslessLossless
Stereo minuteAbout 960 KB at 128 kbps10.6 MB10.6 MBAbout 5.3 MBAbout 5.3 MB
Re-savingLoses more each timeNo lossNo lossNo lossNo loss
Tags and artFullLimitedLimitedFullFull
Het beste voorListening, sharing, phonesEditing on a Mac, samplers, CDsEditing, Windows, upload formsLossless on Apple devicesLossless archive anywhere

How big will the AIFF be?

  • AAC3.8 MB
  • AIFF42.3 MB

11×bigger, with the same sound

Sample rate × 2 bytes × channels × seconds. AIFF doesn't compress, so the music makes no difference. Only the length, sample rate and channels do.

What's inside the AIFF you download

interview-take-3.aiff · 39,160,878 bytesSamples: 99.9998% of the fileFORM AIFFMarks the file asclassic AIFFNAME"Interview take 3"The only tag copiedCOMM2 channels · 16 bits44,100 Hz9,790,200 framesSSNDLeft, right, left, right…
Read from a file this converter made. Byte order is big-endian, the classic AIFF layout rather than the AIFF-C variant. Artist, album, cover art, loudness and timecode are not included. The header boxes are enlarged: to scale, the header would be far thinner than the mark at the start of the strip.

Is AIFF right for where it's going?

Convert to AIFF

AIFF works in Logic Pro

Drag the AIFF into the Tracks area, or use File › Import › Audio File. Logic can also import the AAC directly, so convert when you want a fixed PCM file for heavy editing.

Other ways to convert AAC to AIFF

Music app on a Mac

Music › Settings › Files › Import Settings › AIFF Encoder

Then select the song and choose File › Convert › Create AIFF Version. Protected Apple Music downloads can't be converted.

Audacity, any computer

File › Export Audio › AIFF

Audacity needs the free FFmpeg library installed to open AAC files.

FFmpeg, for a whole folder

ffmpeg -i in.aac -c:a pcm_s16be out.aiff

The same command this converter runs.

If the conversion doesn't work

"This file type isn't supported here"
The file is probably an .m4p: a song downloaded from Apple Music, or an iTunes Store purchase from before 2009. Those are copy-protected, so this converter can't open them. Songs saved as .m4a or .aac convert normally.
The AIFF won't play in Chrome
Chrome can't play AIFF, so a downloaded AIFF opened in a browser tab shows an error. The file is fine. Open it in Music, QuickTime Player, VLC or your editor.
"Choose a file under 200 MB"
A 200 MB AAC at 128 kbps is about three and a half hours. Split a longer recording in an editor and convert each part.
"The security check expired"
Refresh the page, choose the file again, and select Convert.
"Couldn't find this request"
Download links expire after one day. Convert the AAC again for a new link.

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AAC to AIFF questions