AIFC Compressor

Compress AIFC Audio Online

AIFC (AIFF-C) is Apple's compression-capable version of the AIFF audio format, but the files that editors and this tool write hold uncompressed 16-bit big-endian PCM — which is why they are large. Because PCM stores every sample in full, the only way to shrink an AIFC while keeping the format is to lower its sample rate, drop it to mono, or trim the length; for a dramatic size cut you convert it to a lossy format instead. Files upload over an encrypted connection, are processed on our servers, and are deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark.

AIFC Format at a Glance

AIFC extends the original AIFF container; knowing what it actually stores explains why "compressing" it behaves differently from compressing an MP3.

Ways to Actually Shrink an AIFC File

For an uncompressed PCM file, size equals sample rate × bit depth × channels × duration, so those are the only levers. The last row is the real win when you can leave the AIFC container behind.

How to Compress an AIFC File

1. Upload Your AIFC File: Drag and drop your .aifc file (or a .aif / .aiff) onto the page or click "Add Files"; queue several to process them in one batch.
2. Lower the Audio Sample Rate: In Advanced Options, drop "Audio Sample Rate" from Original — typically 44,100 Hz — to 24,000 Hz; on a raw PCM file this is the single biggest size lever.
3. Set Audio Channel to Mono or Trim (Optional): If the source is a voice recording or a mono sample, switch "Audio Channel" to Mono to roughly halve the size, or use "Trim" to cut unused head and tail.
4. Compress and Download: Click Compress and save the result. Files upload over an encrypted connection, are processed on our servers, and are deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does compressing an AIFC file barely shrink it?

Because the audio inside is uncompressed 16-bit big-endian PCM: every sample is stored in full, so the size is fixed by sample rate, bit depth, and channel count times the duration. There is no quality slider that removes data the way MP3 or AAC does — the only ways to make a PCM AIFC smaller while keeping the format are a lower sample rate, mono instead of stereo, or a shorter clip.

How do I make an AIFC file dramatically smaller?

Convert it to a lossy format. A 128–192 kbps MP3 or AAC file is typically 85–90% smaller than 16-bit / 44.1 kHz PCM with little audible difference, because those codecs discard information the ear cannot detect. Use AIFC to MP3 for the widest compatibility or AIFC to M4A for slightly better quality at the same bitrate.

How much does lowering the sample rate actually save?

Savings scale directly with the rate. In our testing, a 60-second 44.1 kHz 16-bit stereo AIFC (about 10 MB) dropped to roughly 5.5 MB after we set Audio Sample Rate to 24,000 Hz, and to about 3.8 MB at 16,000 Hz. The file stays an uncompressed AIFC the whole time — it simply carries fewer samples.

Will lowering the sample rate or going mono hurt quality?

It trades bandwidth for size. By the Nyquist limit, a 24,000 Hz rate can only reproduce frequencies up to 12 kHz and a 16,000 Hz rate up to 8 kHz, so cymbals and high harmonics in music will dull; speech and podcasts survive both fine. Mono is safe when the content is a single voice or a mono instrument sample, but it collapses any stereo panning. Keep 44,100 Hz stereo for music masters.

What is the difference between AIFC and AIFF?

AIFF (1988) stores only uncompressed PCM. AIFF-C, or AIFC, arrived in July 1991 and extended the same container so it could also hold compressed codecs such as μ-law, A-law, and IMA ADPCM. In practice many AIFC files — including the output here — still carry uncompressed 16-bit PCM, so the ".aifc" extension does not guarantee the audio is compressed.

Can I convert AIFC to WAV or AIFF instead of compressing it?

Yes. AIFC to WAV rewraps the same audio into the more Windows-friendly WAV container; the main technical difference is byte order — AIFF and AIFC are big-endian while WAV is little-endian — so the sound is identical, only the wrapper changes. This does not reduce size on its own, since WAV is also uncompressed PCM.

What software opens an AIFC file?

On macOS, QuickTime Player, Apple Music, and the Music app open AIFC natively. Cross-platform editors including Audacity, VLC, and Adobe Audition handle it on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Because compressed AIFF variants sometimes use the .aif or .aiff extension interchangeably, renaming rarely fixes a playback problem — the codec inside is what matters.

Is there a file size limit, and are my uploads private?

The real limit is upload size and time rather than any hard cap, so very large multi-hour PCM files simply take longer to send. Every file uploads over an encrypted connection, is processed on our servers, and is deleted automatically after a few hours — never shared, never made public, and no sign-up or watermark is required.