WMA to AIFF Converter

How to Convert WMA to AIF Online

1. Upload Your WMA File: Drag and drop, or click "+ Add Files" to pick one or many .wma clips. Batch is supported — every file is processed in the browser session, no upload to a remote queue.
2. Set Audio Channel and Sample Rate: Default is ORIGINAL for both, which preserves whatever the source WMA carried (commonly 44.1 kHz stereo for music, 22.05 kHz mono for voice recordings). Drop "Audio Channel" to Mono to halve file size for spoken content, or pick a specific "Audio Sample Rate" — 44.1 kHz for CD-rate output, 48 kHz for video/DAW workflows, 96 kHz only if your source is already high-rate (resampling up from 44.1 kHz adds nothing).
3. Trim (Optional): Expand "Trim" to set a start time and duration in HH:MM:SS.mmm. Useful for clipping a single track out of a long WMA recording before it expands into AIF.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. The output is uncompressed big-endian PCM in an AIF container — Apple's native Audio Interchange File Format, drag-droppable into Logic Pro, Pro Tools, GarageBand, or Final Cut.

Why Convert WMA to AIF?

WMA (Windows Media Audio) was Microsoft's answer to MP3, released August 1999 and shipped as a Windows Media Player default through Windows 7. Apple never built native WMA decoding into macOS, iOS, Logic, or Final Cut — so the format that filled CD-ripped Windows libraries through the 2000s now sits unreadable in Apple-centric workflows. AIF (Audio Interchange File Format), released by Apple in January 1988, is the inverse: uncompressed PCM, big-endian, baked into every Apple audio app since System 6. Converting WMA → AIF is the bridge between those two ecosystems.

• Edit old Windows recordings in Logic or Pro Tools — Logic Pro and Pro Tools both refuse .wma natively; converting to AIF lets you drop the file straight onto a timeline with sample-accurate behaviour and no transcoder plugin.
• Restore CD rips from a 2000s Windows library — millions of music libraries were ripped to WMA via Windows Media Player's default settings; AIF is the lossless-grade Apple equivalent for re-archiving on a Mac.
• Hand audio to a video editor — Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, and Premiere all prefer AIF or WAV over WMA; AIF avoids the WMA decoder dependency that breaks Apple Silicon imports.
• Master for CD or vinyl pressing — pressing plants and replication houses accept 16-bit/44.1 kHz AIF as a standard delivery format; they will reject WMA.
• Archive voice memos and dictation — long-term preservation favours uncompressed PCM; lossy WMA Standard cannot be re-decoded without inheriting its original encoder artifacts.

WMA vs AIF — Format Comparison

AIF Output — Sample Rate and Channel Guide

Sizes assume 16-bit PCM. The xconvert pipeline writes 16-bit signed big-endian samples (pcm_s16be), which matches the standard AIF profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AIF the same as AIFF?

Yes. .aif and .aiff are the same format — both are Apple's Audio Interchange File Format. The three-letter .aif is the DOS 8.3-filename legacy spelling; .aiff is the four-letter modern spelling. Every Apple audio app, ffmpeg, Audacity, and CoreAudio treat them as identical. If your target system needs .aiff specifically, use our WMA to AIFF page instead — same conversion, different extension on the output.

Will the AIF be lossless if my WMA was lossy?

The AIF container is uncompressed PCM, but it can't recreate audio that was discarded during the original WMA encode. If your source is WMA Standard at 128 kbit/s, the AIF will faithfully preserve everything that 128 kbit/s WMA preserved — frequency-domain artifacts and all — at ~1411 kbit/s PCM. There's no upscaling. The benefit is editability and compatibility, not added fidelity.

Why does the AIF file end up so much bigger?

PCM stores every sample uncompressed. A 1-minute stereo file at 44.1 kHz / 16-bit is 44,100 × 2 × 2 × 60 ≈ 10.6 MB. WMA Standard at 128 kbit/s stores the same minute in ~0.96 MB by discarding inaudible frequencies. The size ratio of ~10× is expected and is the point of the format — pro tools need raw samples to edit without quality loss.

Can macOS play .wma files directly without converting?

No. Apple removed Windows Media Components for QuickTime in macOS 10.7 Lion (2011) and never replaced them. Modern macOS plays WMA only through third-party apps (VLC, Audirvana, EasyWMA, ffmpeg). Conversion to AIF is the only way to get WMA into Logic Pro, Final Cut, GarageBand, iMovie, or QuickTime Player without installing extra codecs.

What sample rate and bit depth should I pick?

Match your source rate if possible — upsampling never adds detail. Most WMA music files were ripped at 44.1 kHz; voice recordings often at 22.05 kHz or 16 kHz. Pick 48 kHz only if you're targeting a video or broadcast workflow that expects it. Our output is 16-bit; for 24-bit masters use a DAW after conversion to dither cleanly.

Does this handle WMA Lossless and WMA Pro files?

Yes. The decoder accepts WMA Standard (v1, v2, v9), WMA Pro, WMA Lossless, and WMA Voice. WMA Lossless will round-trip without any audible change. WMA Pro multichannel files are downmixed to stereo unless you set Audio Channel explicitly.

Is AIF or WAV better for Mac users?

Functionally equivalent — both are uncompressed PCM containers. AIF is big-endian and slightly preferred inside the Apple toolchain (Logic, GarageBand default to AIF); WAV is little-endian and slightly preferred on Windows and in cross-platform DAWs (Reaper, Ableton). Either will sound identical. If you need WAV instead, see our WMA to WAV page.

Will DRM-protected WMA files convert?

No. WMA files that were purchased from the Microsoft Zune store, MSN Music, Napster (pre-2008), or other Windows Media DRM stores carry license restrictions that block decoding without a valid license key. Microsoft also shut down the PlaysForSure license servers in 2008, leaving many of those files unplayable even on Windows. xconvert cannot bypass DRM — only unprotected .wma rips will convert.

How does AIF compare to MP3 for my purpose?

AIF is uncompressed and large; MP3 is lossy and small. AIF is the right choice when you'll edit, master, archive, or hand the file to professional audio software. MP3 is the right choice when the destination is consumer playback (phones, browsers, streaming). For the lossy path instead, see WMA to MP3.