Convert AIFC to AIFF — Free Online Converter
Convert AIFF-C Compressed Audio (.aifc) to Audio Interchange File Format (.aiff) online for free. Fast, secure audio conversion with no watermarks or ...
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Upload your .aifc file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.
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About AIFC to AIFF Conversion
AIFC (AIFF-C) and AIFF are closely related Apple audio formats. AIFF stores strictly uncompressed PCM audio in big-endian byte order, while AIFC extends AIFF with a compression type field supporting IMA ADPCM, MACE 3:1/6:1, u-law, A-law, and uncompressed PCM (type 'NONE'). Both formats share the same IFF-derived container structure and were developed by Apple in the late 1980s.
Converting AIFC to AIFF decompresses any compressed audio in the AIFC container and stores the result as uncompressed PCM in a standard AIFF file. For AIFC files that already contain uncompressed PCM (compression type 'NONE'), the conversion is a lossless remux — the audio data is copied bit-for-bit into the AIFF container without any transcoding.
Why Convert AIFC to AIFF?
AIFF has broader software support than AIFC. Professional DAWs like Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and GarageBand handle AIFF reliably, but some choke on AIFC files — especially those containing MACE or IMA ADPCM compressed audio. Converting AIFC to AIFF ensures clean import into Apple's professional audio ecosystem.
Archival workflows often mandate uncompressed PCM in AIFF format. Broadcasting organizations, music libraries, and audio preservation projects typically reject compressed formats. Converting AIFC to AIFF satisfies these requirements while staying within Apple's native audio format family.
Common Use Cases
- Importing legacy AIFC audio into Logic Pro or Pro Tools without codec compatibility issues
- Converting MACE-compressed AIFC files to uncompressed AIFF for archival preservation
- Normalizing a mixed collection of AIFC and AIFF files to a single AIFF standard
- Preparing vintage Mac audio for professional mastering workflows that require uncompressed input
- Decompressing IMA ADPCM audio in AIFC to full PCM quality for editing in GarageBand
How It Works
FFmpeg reads the AIFC container and identifies the compression type. For uncompressed PCM (type 'NONE'), it performs a stream copy — the big-endian PCM data is transferred bit-for-bit into the AIFF container with no transcoding. For compressed variants (IMA ADPCM, MACE 3:1/6:1, u-law, A-law), FFmpeg decodes the audio to raw PCM samples and writes them as 16-bit big-endian PCM into the AIFF container. The COMM, MARK, and SSND chunks are reconstructed to standard AIFF specification.
Quality & Performance
For AIFC files with uncompressed PCM ('NONE' compression), quality is perfectly preserved — zero loss, bit-for-bit identical audio data. For AIFC files with IMA ADPCM, the decompressed PCM faithfully represents the ADPCM-encoded audio, though ADPCM's original 4:1 compression introduced minor quantization noise. MACE 3:1 and 6:1 sources produce the most degraded AIFF output, as MACE was a crude lossy algorithm. The conversion itself adds no additional quality loss — it only decompresses what was compressed.
Device Compatibility
| Device | AIFC | AIFF |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Partial |
| macOS | Partial | Partial |
| iPhone/iPad | Partial | Partial |
| Android | Partial | Partial |
| Linux | Partial | Partial |
| Web Browser | No | No |
Recommended Settings by Platform
Spotify
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 320 kbps
OGG Vorbis preferred
Apple Music
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 256 kbps
AAC format required
SoundCloud
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 128 kbps
Lossless FLAC/WAV for best quality
Podcast
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 128 kbps
MP3 mono for spoken word
Tips for Best Results
- 1Check the AIFC compression type before converting — PCM sources produce bit-perfect AIFF output, while MACE sources will be decompressed but cannot recover lost quality
- 2Use AIFF for Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro workflows where native Apple format support is optimal
- 3For archival purposes, AIFF is preferable to AIFC since uncompressed PCM is universally decodable without proprietary codec support
- 4Batch convert entire folders of mixed AIFC files — FFmpeg handles all compression types automatically
- 5If disk space is a concern, consider converting to FLAC instead of AIFF for lossless compression with modern codec support
AIFC to AIFF converts Apple's compressed audio format back to the universal uncompressed AIFF standard. For PCM-containing AIFC files, this is a lossless remux; for compressed AIFC, it decompresses to full PCM for maximum compatibility.