WAV to AIFF Converter

How to Convert WAV to AIFF Online

1. Upload Your WAV File: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select WAV files. Studio session bounces, field recordings, CD rips, Audacity exports, and Windows-side DAW renders all work. Batch is supported — convert an entire session folder in one pass.
2. Pick the AIFF PCM Encoding: Default is 16-bit big-endian PCM, the native AIFF encoding that Logic Pro, GarageBand, and Pro Tools expect. Choose 24-bit little-endian for studio masters with more headroom, 32-bit little-endian for DAW intermediates, or A-law / μ-law for telephony archives. 16-bit little-endian is also offered for AIFF-C "sowt" workflows.
3. Set Sample Rate, Channels, and Trim (Optional): Match the source rate (typically 44.1 kHz for music, 48 kHz for video audio) or pick from the sample-rate dropdown (8 kHz to 48 kHz). Choose mono or stereo. Optionally trim using start time + duration in seconds or HH:MM:SS.sss format.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files convert in your browser session and download individually or as a ZIP — no sign-up, no watermark.

Why Convert WAV to AIFF?

WAV and AIFF are both uncompressed PCM containers — bit-for-bit lossless, identical audio data inside different headers. WAV is Microsoft's RIFF-based format (1991), AIFF is Apple's IFF-based format (1988). The audio quality is the same; the difference is which platform and software treat the file as "native." Common reasons to convert WAV → AIFF:

• Logic Pro and GarageBand prefer AIFF — Apple's DAWs default to AIFF for bounces, audio regions, and Apple Loops. Importing AIFF avoids on-the-fly format adapters and matches the project's session media format.
• Loop point and musical metadata — AIFF natively stores loop start/end markers, musical key, and tempo metadata in dedicated chunks. WAV technically supports cue points but tooling is inconsistent. Sample-library producers ship loops as AIFF for this reason.
• Mac-side archival pipelines — Many post-production studios on macOS standardize on AIFF for archive and delivery to mirror the native Apple ecosystem (Final Cut Pro, Compressor, QuickTime).
• Cross-platform DAW handoff — Sending stems from a Windows-side Reaper or Cubase session to a Logic Pro mixer? AIFF lands cleanly without the occasional WAV header quirks (BWF metadata, 4 GB RIFF limit, RF64 extensions).
• CD authoring on macOS — Older Roxio Toast and similar Mac authoring tools historically expected AIFF for Red Book audio CD sources.
• Avoiding WAV's 4 GB RIFF cap — Standard WAV uses 32-bit chunk sizes, which caps a single file near 4 GB (~6.7 hours of CD-quality stereo). AIFF uses similar limits in practice but the audio community on Mac has long used AIFF for long-form classical and live recordings.

Need the reverse direction? See AIFF to WAV. Going to a smaller distribution format? Try WAV to MP3 or WAV to M4A.

WAV vs AIFF — Format Comparison

AIFF PCM Encoding Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Will converting WAV to AIFF lose any audio quality?

No. Both WAV and AIFF store uncompressed PCM. When you keep the same bit depth, sample rate, and channel layout, the conversion is bit-perfect — the audio samples are identical, only the container header changes. The only way quality changes is if you deliberately pick a lower bit depth (e.g., 24-bit WAV down to 16-bit AIFF) or a lower sample rate, in which case dithering / resampling applies.

Why would I bother converting WAV to AIFF if they sound identical?

Tooling and metadata, not audio quality. Logic Pro and GarageBand default to AIFF for session media, and certain Mac-native workflows (Final Cut Pro audio import, sample libraries, Apple Loops) handle AIFF more smoothly. AIFF also stores loop-point and musical-key metadata in standard chunks, which sample-library producers rely on. If your software is happy with WAV, there's no audio reason to convert.

Should I pick 16-bit or 24-bit AIFF?

Match the source. If your WAV is 16-bit / 44.1 kHz CD-quality, output 16-bit AIFF — going to 24-bit doesn't add information that wasn't there. If your WAV is a 24-bit studio recording, keep 24-bit AIFF to preserve the extra dynamic range headroom. Drop to 16-bit only when the destination requires it (audio CD authoring, certain hardware samplers).

What's the difference between AIFF and AIFF-C?

AIFF (sometimes called "AIFF-PCM") stores raw uncompressed big-endian PCM. AIFF-C (Compressed) extends the format to allow compression types like A-law, μ-law, ADPCM, and even MP3-style codecs inside the AIFF container. The "sowt" AIFF-C variant carries little-endian PCM specifically so Mac tools can write WAV-style PCM data without byte-swapping. XConvert outputs standard AIFF by default; the codec dropdown lets you produce AIFF-C variants when needed.

Will my WAV's BWF (Broadcast Wave) metadata transfer?

The audio data transfers bit-perfectly. BWF-specific chunks (originator info, time-of-day timestamp, UMID) are WAV-specific and don't have a 1:1 equivalent in AIFF, so production-timeline metadata may not survive. If you rely on BWF timestamps for sync, keep a BWF copy alongside the AIFF deliverable.

Can I batch convert a folder of WAV stems to AIFF?

Yes — drop in the entire stems folder. Each file converts in parallel within your browser session and downloads individually or as a single ZIP. Settings can apply uniformly across the whole batch (typical for stems where you want consistent encoding) or be tuned per file.

Why does my AIFF have the same file size as my WAV?

Because the audio data is identical. WAV and AIFF are both uncompressed PCM at the same bit depth, sample rate, and channel count, so the payload size is the same. Only the small header differs (a few hundred bytes). A 5-minute 16-bit / 44.1 kHz stereo file is roughly 50 MB in either format.

Can I trim a long WAV recording and save just the part I need as AIFF?

Yes. Use the trim section to enter a start time and duration. Both fields accept seconds (12.5) or HH:MM:SS.sss format (00:01:30.500). Useful for pulling a single song out of a long live-show WAV or extracting a clean take from a tracking session before delivering as AIFF.

Does this preserve sample rate and bit depth automatically?

By default, yes — the converter reads the input WAV's sample rate, bit depth, and channel layout and produces an AIFF that matches. You only need to touch the dropdowns when you deliberately want to change one of those values (e.g., downsample 96 kHz to 48 kHz, or fold stereo to mono).