AIFC to AU Converter

AIFC to AU Converter

AIFC (AIFF-C) is Apple's compressed-capable variant of AIFF, and AU (.au / .snd) is the legacy Sun Microsystems audio format that NeXT and early Java both adopted. Both are old formats from the same era, and with PCM 16-bit Big Endian selected as the Audio Codec this conversion is a re-wrap of the same audio into a different header (the default output is the classic 8-bit μ-law) — useful when a Unix-era tool, a Java AudioClip, or an embedded system expects the .snd format. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark.

AIFC (AIFF-C) Format at a Glance

AU (.au / .snd) Format at a Glance

How to Convert AIFC to AU

1. Upload Your AIFC File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to load one or more .aifc files from your device. Batch upload is supported, so a folder of clips can be converted in one pass.
2. Pick the Audio Codec: Open "Show All Options" and set Audio Codec. The default is PCM mu-law (the classic 8-bit .snd encoding — small, telephony-grade); for a transparent, full-quality .au switch to PCM 16-bit Big Endian.
3. Set Sample Rate and Channels (Optional): Leave Audio Sample Rate and Audio Channel on Original to preserve the source, or downsample to 8 kHz mono for a small μ-law file. Use Trim to cut to a specific start and duration.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your .au file. No sign-up, no watermark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose any quality converting AIFC to AU?

It depends entirely on the codecs at each end. If your AIFC holds uncompressed PCM and you select PCM 16-bit Big Endian for the .au, the samples are copied bit-for-bit and there is no quality change — only the header differs. The default output, though, is PCM mu-law, an 8-bit encoding that downscales to telephony-grade quality. In our testing, a 44.1 kHz 16-bit AIFC re-wrapped to 16-bit PCM AU stayed sample-identical; leaving the output on μ-law dropped it to 8-bit companded audio as expected.

What is the difference between AIFC and plain AIFF?

Plain AIFF only stores uncompressed PCM. AIFF-C (AIFC) adds a compression-type field in the COMM chunk so the same container can also hold a coded payload. A compression type of NONE means the AIFC is, in practice, identical to an uncompressed AIFF — many .aifc files in the wild are just PCM with the newer header.

What encoding does the output AU file use?

PCM mu-law unless you change it — the original 8-bit G.711 μ-law encoding that NeXT, Sun, and early Java used by default. The alternatives selectable as the Audio Codec are PCM 16-bit Big Endian for a clean linear-PCM file and PCM a-law for the European G.711 variant. AU stores audio big-endian, which matches AIFF's byte order, so no endianness conversion is forced on PCM payloads.

Why would anyone still use the AU format?

It survives in a few specific places: Unix and NeXT-era audio tools, Java's legacy sun.audio / AudioClip playback (which reads .au natively), and embedded or telephony systems that expect 8 kHz μ-law .snd data. For general listening or sharing, AU is a poor choice — it has no metadata tags and weak modern support. If you just need a small, portable file, convert to MP3 instead with AIFC to MP3.

Are .au and .snd the same file?

Yes. .au and .snd are two extensions for the identical Sun/NeXT audio format — the header even begins with the magic number 0x2E736E64, the ASCII characters .snd. NeXT and early Java tended to use .snd, while Unix tools and later references settled on .au, but the byte layout is the same and a player that opens one opens the other. If a legacy tool insists on a particular spelling, you can safely rename the file without re-converting it.

Does the AU file keep my artist, title, or cover-art metadata?

No. The AU format has no tag system for artist, album, title, or embedded artwork — its header carries only the encoding, sample rate, channel count, and an optional plain-text annotation field. Any ID3-style metadata in your source is dropped. If preserving tags matters, choose a tagged format like MP3 or keep your audio in AIFF/WAV.

Should I convert to AU or just keep WAV?

For modern compatibility, WAV is almost always the better lossless container — it is uncompressed PCM with broad support across every OS and DAW. Only choose AU when a specific legacy tool or Java application requires the .snd format. If you need uncompressed PCM that everything can open, AIFC to WAV is the safer target; if you need a small file, compress to MP3 first or run the result through the Audio Compressor.

Are my files uploaded to a server?

Yes. This converter is server-side: your AIFC is uploaded over an encrypted (TLS) connection, transcoded on our servers, and the files are deleted automatically after a few hours. No account is required, and there are no watermarks or file-count limits.