CAF (Core Audio Format)
Also known as: Core Audio Format, .caf file, Apple CAF
CAF (Core Audio Format) is Apple’s flexible audio container, used across macOS and iOS. Like MKA, it is a wrapper rather than a codec and can hold many audio types. Unlike older formats such as WAV and AIFF, it is not limited to 4 GB, so it suits very long or high-resolution recordings.
- Apple’s flexible audio container (.caf)
- No 4 GB size limit, unlike WAV and AIFF
- Can hold PCM, ALAC, AAC, and more
What CAF is
CAF uses the .caf extension and is Apple’s general-purpose audio container, designed to wrap many encodings — uncompressed PCM, ALAC, AAC, and more. The codec inside decides whether the audio is lossless or lossy.
Its key advantage is that it has no practical file-size ceiling, whereas the older WAV and AIFF formats are capped around 4 GB. That makes CAF a good fit for long sessions, surround audio, and pro recording workflows on Mac.
Playing and converting CAF
CAF opens natively in Apple apps like QuickToolkit-based players and many Mac tools, but it is uncommon outside the Apple ecosystem. Phones and non-Apple players may not read it.
To share a .caf file widely, convert it to MP3 or AAC for small, compatible files, or to WAV/ALAC if you need to keep it uncompressed or lossless.