MP4 to AIFF Converter

How to Convert MP4 to AIFF Online

1. Upload Your MP4 File: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select MP4 or M4V video files. iPhone recordings, screen captures, GoPro clips, Final Cut exports, and YouTube downloads all work. Batch is supported — extract audio from an entire folder of clips in one pass.
2. Pick AIFF PCM Codec: Choose PCM_S16BE for standard 16-bit AIFF (CD-quality, the macOS default) or PCM_S24LE / PCM_S32LE for high-resolution mastering. AIFF is uncompressed by design, so every PCM codec preserves bit-faithful audio — pick by bit depth, not by compression ratio. PCM_MULAW and PCM_ALAW are available for telephony-style 8-bit output.
3. Set Sample Rate, Channels, and Trim (Optional): Match the source rate (typically 48000 Hz for MP4 video, 44100 Hz for music-focused MP4 files) or downsample to 24000 Hz / 16000 Hz for speech. Pick STEREO or MONO. Optionally trim to a segment using start time + duration in HH:MM:SS.sss format (e.g., 00:01:30.500).
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files process in your browser session and download individually or as a ZIP — no sign-up, no watermark.

Why Extract AIFF from MP4?

MP4 is the dominant video container in 2026 — used by iPhones, Android phones, mirrorless cameras, screen recorders, and most streaming platforms. The audio inside is almost always AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), a lossy compressed format that's fine for playback but awkward for audio editing on a Mac. AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format), introduced by Apple in 1988, stores uncompressed PCM audio — the macOS counterpart to WAV — and is the native bounce format for Logic Pro, GarageBand, Pro Tools, and Final Cut Pro. Extracting AIFF from MP4 is the standard first step in pulling video audio into a Mac DAW workflow.

• Logic Pro and GarageBand audio editing — Drop the AIFF directly into a Logic project as an audio region. No re-encoding on import, no AAC decoder pass, no metadata mangling. AIFF is Logic's preferred bounce format too, so round-tripping stays bit-perfect once you're in PCM.
• Pro Tools session import — Pro Tools imports AIFF natively without conforming. Extract dialogue, music beds, or sound effects from MP4 masters for ADR, podcast post-production, or film mixing.
• Final Cut Pro audio replacement — Pull the original audio from an MP4 video, edit in Logic or Audition, and re-import the cleaned AIFF into FCP without going through another lossy AAC re-encode.
• iPhone and iPad video soundtracks — Modern iPhones record video at H.264 or H.265 with stereo AAC at 128-256 kbps. Convert to AIFF before noise reduction, equalization, or de-essing so the editor works on uncompressed samples.
• Sample library prep — Extract isolated sound effects, ambience loops, instrument hits, or vocal phrases from MP4 sources to AIFF for Kontakt, EXS24, or Battery sample mappings (which expect AIFF or WAV).
• Sound forensics and transcription — Speech-to-text engines and forensic audio tools (iZotope RX, SoundSoap) work cleanly on AIFF without artifacts introduced by re-decoding compressed AAC during processing.

MP4 vs AIFF — Format Comparison

AIFF PCM Codec & Sample Rate Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the AIFF be larger than the original MP4?

Often yes, sometimes much larger. AIFF is uncompressed (10 MB per minute of stereo CD-quality audio), while MP4 video carries AAC audio at 128-256 kbps (1-2 MB per minute). A 50 MB MP4 clip can yield a 35-40 MB AIFF when extracted at 16-bit/48 kHz stereo, and an MP4 with a long audio track but low-bitrate video can produce an AIFF that's larger than the source file. This is normal — you're trading file size for lossless fidelity in a Mac DAW. If size matters more than fidelity, see MP4 to MP3 instead.

Why pick AIFF over WAV when extracting from MP4?

AIFF and WAV are both uncompressed PCM containers and are functionally equivalent in audio quality. AIFF is big-endian (Apple convention) and is the default for Logic Pro, GarageBand, and Final Cut Pro — it round-trips inside the Apple ecosystem without byte-order conversion. WAV is little-endian (Microsoft convention) and is the Windows DAW default. If your editing target is a Mac DAW, pick AIFF; if cross-platform with Windows hosts, see MP4 to WAV.

What sample rate should I match?

For MP4 video from cameras, phones, screen recorders, and most editing apps: 48000 Hz is the standard rate. For music-focused MP4 files exported from a DAW or ripped from CD-source content: 44100 Hz. For speech-only sources where size matters: 24000 Hz or 16000 Hz. Mismatching the source rate introduces a resampling step, which is mathematically clean but adds processing time. Matching the source preserves bit-faithful audio.

Should I pick 16-bit or 24-bit?

16-bit (PCM_S16BE) is plenty for delivery-grade audio and matches CD/broadcast standards. 24-bit (PCM_S24LE) is preferred when you'll do further editing — equalization, compression, gain staging — because the 8 extra bits give you ~48 dB of headroom before quantization noise becomes audible. The MP4's AAC source is rarely better than 16-bit equivalent quality, so going to 24-bit doesn't recover lost quality, but it future-proofs the file for editing without adding requantization artifacts.

Can I extract a specific segment of the MP4?

Yes. Use the trim option to enter start time and duration. Both accept seconds (12.5) or HH:MM:SS.sss format (00:02:15.250). Useful for pulling a single song from an MP4 concert recording, isolating a dialogue line from a screen capture, or extracting one chapter of audio from a long-form video.

Will the AAC source affect AIFF quality?

Yes — AIFF is uncompressed, but it can only preserve what's in the source. If the MP4 contains AAC audio at 128 kbps, the resulting AIFF is a bit-perfect decode of that AAC, which means it carries the AAC compression artifacts already baked in. AIFF doesn't restore lost quality; it just stops further degradation in your DAW. For best results, work from the highest-bitrate MP4 source you have.

What if my MP4 has multiple audio tracks?

The default extraction takes the primary audio track. Some MP4s carry multiple language tracks, commentary tracks, or 5.1 surround alongside stereo. AIFF supports multi-channel audio when set to the appropriate channel count, but most browser-based extractions output stereo or mono — pick STEREO for the L/R downmix.

Will iPhone Live Photo audio or HEVC-MP4 work?

Yes for HEVC (H.265) MP4 — the audio track is still AAC and decodes the same way regardless of the video codec. Live Photos are a separate pair of files (HEIC + MOV) rather than MP4, so for those see MOV to AIFF. iPhone screen recordings, camera roll videos, and AirDrop receipts are all standard MP4 and extract cleanly.

What if I need to convert AIFF back to a compressed format later?

After editing in Logic or Pro Tools, bounce/export to your delivery format. See AIFF to MP3 for podcast or web delivery, AIFF to WAV for Windows DAW handoff, or AIFF to FLAC for lossless archival at roughly half the size.