CAF to AIFC Converter

CAF to AIFC Converter

CAF (Core Audio Format) is Apple's modern container for raw and compressed audio; AIFC, also written AIFF-C, is the compression-capable variant of Apple's older AIFF format. Both are Apple containers, so this conversion moves your audio into a format that older Mac authoring tools, samplers, and AIFF-family workflows can open. If your CAF holds uncompressed PCM, the output AIFC carries the same samples at the same fidelity — the audio is decoded and stored again as uncompressed PCM, so nothing is lost.

CAF Format at a Glance

AIFC (AIFF-C) Format at a Glance

How to Convert CAF to AIFC

1. Upload Your CAF File: Drag and drop your .caf file onto the page or click "+ Add Files" to pick one or several from your computer.
2. Pick an Audio Codec: Open Advanced Options. AIFC output defaults to PCM 16-bit Big Endian; you can also choose PCM 16-bit Little Endian, PCM A-law, or PCM mu-law if a target tool needs a specific encoding.
3. Adjust Channels, Sample Rate, or Trim: Set Audio Channel and Audio Sample Rate (both default to Original) or use Trim to keep only part of the recording.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and save your AIFC file. No sign-up, no watermark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AIFC the same as AIFF?

Not quite. AIFC (AIFF-C) is a superset of AIFF: it keeps the same IFF chunk structure but changes the FORM type from AIFF to AIFC and adds a compression field. In practice most AIFC files — including everything macOS and iTunes export — are uncompressed PCM stored as the little-endian sowt type, so they sound identical to AIFF. The format simply gives Apple a slot to declare a codec when one is used.

Will converting CAF to AIFC reduce quality?

If your CAF holds uncompressed PCM and you keep a PCM codec for the AIFC output, the conversion is lossless — the decoded sample values are preserved exactly in the new file. If your CAF holds a lossy codec such as AAC, decoding it to PCM AIFC will not restore detail that was already discarded; you just get a larger uncompressed file of the same lossy audio. For a 16-bit/44.1 kHz PCM CAF converted to 16-bit PCM AIFC, every sample value comes through identical to the source.

Does AIFC compress the audio like its name suggests?

It can, but on this converter it does not. The "C" stands for "compression-capable," not "always compressed." AIFC was designed to optionally carry codecs like IMA4 or MACE, but Apple's own default and the output here is uncompressed PCM. If you actually need a smaller portable file, an uncompressed AIFC is the wrong target — convert to a lossy format with CAF to MP3 instead.

Why would I choose AIFC over WAV?

AIFC and WAV both carry uncompressed PCM at the same fidelity, so the choice is about ecosystem. Pick AIFC when an older Mac editor, sampler, or AIFF-family workflow expects an AIFF/AIFC file. Pick WAV — via CAF to WAV — when you need the broadest cross-platform and Windows compatibility. Both share the same ~4 GB ceiling, unlike CAF.

What is the largest CAF file I can convert?

CAF itself has effectively no size limit because it uses 64-bit offsets, but AIFC inherits AIFF's 32-bit chunk-size fields, so the output is bounded at roughly 4 GB. The practical limit on your side is upload size and time rather than the format. For a very long recording that would exceed AIFC's ceiling, convert to a compressed format instead.

Is my file kept private during conversion?

Your file is uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours. There is no sign-up, no watermark, and your audio is never shared or made public.

What does the "sowt" codec in an AIFC file mean?

sowt is little-endian linear PCM — the four-character code is literally twos (big-endian PCM) spelled backwards. Classic AIFF stores samples big-endian, but macOS, iTunes, and Music export AIFC as little-endian sowt because it matches how Intel and Apple Silicon Macs handle audio. Either way the samples are uncompressed, so sowt sounds identical to big-endian PCM.

Which apps can open an AIFC file?

AIFC is a first-class Apple format, so QuickTime Player, the Music app, GarageBand, and Logic Pro all read it natively. On the cross-platform side, Audacity and VLC open AIFC too. Because it is an AIFF-family file, most professional audio editors and hardware samplers that accept AIFF also accept AIFC.

Will my CAF markers and metadata carry over to AIFC?

Basic audio properties — sample rate, bit depth, channel count — always transfer, since they define the audio itself. Richer Core Audio extras, such as some CAF-specific chunks, embedded metadata, or edit markers, may not have a direct AIFF/AIFC equivalent and can be dropped. If preserving that data matters, keep the original CAF alongside the AIFC export.