MOV to AIFC Converter

MOV to AIFC Converter

AIFC is AIFF-C, the compression-aware revision of Apple's Audio Interchange File Format. ExifTool's file-type table lists it as "Audio Interchange File Format [Compressed]". This converter takes the audio track out of a QuickTime MOV and writes it as an .aifc file — the video is discarded, only the sound is kept.

Apple's own AIFF-C document explains the reason the format exists: "AIFF-C is being defined because AIFF does not allow for compressed audio data." The Common chunk gained a compression type ID, a format version chunk was added, and the FORM identifier was changed from AIFF to AIFC to distinguish the two. That last detail matters more than it sounds, and this page has a section on it below.

AIFC Format at a Glance

What Each Codec Choice Actually Writes

We encoded one minute of 44.1 kHz stereo into each of the four options to see what comes out.

How to Convert MOV to AIFC

1. Upload Your MOV File: Drag the .mov onto the page or click "Add Files" to browse. Several files can be queued and converted with the same settings in one batch.
2. Pick the Audio Codec: The choices are PCM 16-bit Big Endian, PCM 16-bit Little Endian, PCM A-law and PCM mu-law. Big Endian is the starting selection and the right answer for almost every use; the two 8-bit companded options exist for speech.
3. Set Audio Sample Rate, Channel or Trim (Optional): Audio Sample Rate offers Original plus 8000, 12000, 16000, 24000, 44100 and 48000 Hz; Audio Channel offers Original, Mono and Stereo. Trim exports a start time and duration rather than the whole track.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert and save the .aifc. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers and deleted automatically after a few hours. No sign-up, no watermark.

The Header Detail: Your .aifc May Technically Be an AIFF

Apple's specification is unambiguous about how the two are told apart: "The FORM identifier was changed from 'AIFF' to 'AIFC'. This distinguishes AIFF-C files from AIFF files", and "A FORM chunk of formType 'AIFC' is called a FORM AIFC."

With the default PCM 16-bit Big Endian setting, the file we produce carries the form type AIFF, not AIFC, and has no Format Version chunk — even though it is named .aifc. That is standard encoder behaviour for plain big-endian PCM, which needs no compression type to describe it, and it is harmless for everyday use: QuickTime, Logic, GarageBand, Audacity and every other tool that reads AIFF will open it happily.

It matters in exactly one situation. If something downstream validates the form type strictly — an ingest checker, an automated QC step, a script that reads the first twelve bytes — a .aifc whose header says AIFF may be rejected as mislabelled. If you need a genuine FORM AIFC, choose PCM 16-bit Little Endian, PCM A-law or PCM mu-law; all three write a real AIFC header with the matching compression type and a Format Version chunk. If instead you want an honestly-named plain AIFF, use MOV to AIFF.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AIFC the same thing as AIFF?

Not quite. AIFF-C is the revision that lets the container carry compressed audio, adding a compression type and name to the Common chunk plus a Format Version chunk, and switching the FORM identifier from AIFF to AIFC. Everything else is deliberately unchanged — Apple's document notes the differences "were kept to a minimum" so that AIFF applications could be upgraded easily. An uncompressed AIFF-C behaves like an AIFF with one extra header chunk.

Why does my .aifc file report itself as AIFF?

Because you used the default PCM 16-bit Big Endian codec. Plain big-endian PCM has no compression type to declare, so the encoder writes the older AIFF form type. Pick PCM 16-bit Little Endian, PCM A-law or PCM mu-law if you specifically need the header to read AIFC — those carry the sowt, alaw and ulaw compression types respectively.

Will converting AAC audio from a MOV to AIFC improve the sound?

No. MOV soundtracks are usually AAC, which is lossy, and decoding that to PCM cannot restore what the AAC encoder discarded. What you gain is a file that will not lose anything further: PCM is a fixed representation, so subsequent edits and exports do not stack another generation of loss on top. AIFC here is an edit-stable archive of the existing audio, not an upgrade to it.

Should I use A-law or mu-law?

Only for speech, and only when size matters more than fidelity. Both are 8-bit logarithmic companding schemes — we measured them at exactly half the size of the 16-bit options for the same material — and both are lossy. They were designed for telephony, and music through them sounds noticeably degraded. For anything other than voice, stay on 16-bit.

Why is there no bitrate or quality setting on this page?

Because none of the four codecs has one. Uncompressed PCM's data rate is fully determined by sample rate, bit depth and channel count, and A-law and mu-law are fixed 8-bit-per-sample schemes. There is nothing to adjust, so the File Compression section that appears on lossy audio pages does not render here. The controls that do change the file size are Audio Sample Rate and Audio Channel.

How big will the file be?

Multiply sample rate by channels by two bytes per sample. One minute of 44.1 kHz stereo 16-bit works out at roughly 10.6 MB, which matches what we measured. Halving the channel count with the Mono setting halves it; dropping the sample rate scales it proportionally; the 8-bit A-law and mu-law options halve it again.

Which sample rate should I choose?

Original, unless a project demands otherwise. Passing the source rate straight through avoids a resampling step that can only lose information. Set 44100 Hz or 48000 Hz explicitly when you need the file to match an existing session so it imports without conversion, and use the lower rates only for speech destined for something rate-constrained.

AIFC or WAV — which should I pick?

They are equivalent in audio terms; both are uncompressed PCM containers and both sound identical. AIFC is the Apple-side choice and slots naturally into Logic, GarageBand and macOS audio tooling. MOV to WAV is the safer cross-platform option and the one to reach for if a Windows tool or a game engine is involved. If you need a lossy file instead, MOV to MP3 is far smaller, and the audio compressor accepts .aifc if you want to shrink one you already have.

How are my files handled during conversion?

They are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers and deleted automatically after a few hours — never shared, never made public, with no sign-up and no watermark. PCM output is large, so a long soundtrack means a substantial download; trimming to just the section you need keeps both the transfer and the file manageable.