AIFF
Also known as: .aiff file, Audio Interchange File Format, aif
AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) stores uncompressed audio, the Apple counterpart to Windows WAV. It holds the raw, full-quality recording with no compression, so files are large — roughly ten times the size of an MP3 for the same length of audio.
- Uncompressed — full quality, very large
- Apple counterpart to WAV
- Built for recording and editing, not listening
Uncompressed means large
AIFF keeps audio uncompressed: every sample is stored in full, with nothing thrown away and nothing packed down. The result is the highest-fidelity copy and the biggest file — a few minutes of stereo audio can run tens of megabytes, far more than a lossy MP3 and bigger than even lossless ALAC or FLAC.
That size is the point. AIFF is built for recording, editing, and mastering, where you want the original waveform intact rather than a space-saving copy.
AIFF vs WAV and shrinking it
AIFF and WAV are near-equivalent uncompressed formats; AIFF is the Apple-leaning one, WAV the Windows one, and both wrap raw PCM audio. Apple devices and editors open AIFF natively.
For listening or sharing, an uncompressed file is overkill. Converting AIFF to MP3 or AAC cuts the size dramatically with no audible loss for most people.