Convert AIFC to MP4 — Free Online Converter
Convert AIFF-C Compressed Audio (.aifc) to MPEG-4 Part 14 (.mp4) online for free. Fast, secure audio conversion with no watermarks or registration....
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How to Convert
Upload your .aifc file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.
Choose your output settings. The default settings work great for most files.
Click Convert and download your .mp4 file when it's ready.
About AIFC to MP4 Conversion
AIFC (AIFF-C) is Apple's compressed audio interchange format from the late 1980s, a relic of classic Mac OS supporting IMA ADPCM, MACE 3:1/6:1, G.711, and uncompressed PCM. MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) is the universal multimedia container, the most widely supported media format on Earth — playable on every smartphone, browser, smart TV, and operating system.
Converting AIFC to MP4 produces an audio-only MP4 file with AAC or ALAC audio. The result is functionally identical to an M4A file (which is simply MP4 with an audio-specific extension). This conversion takes the most obscure Apple audio format and delivers it in the most universally compatible container available.
Why Convert AIFC to MP4?
AIFC is recognized by essentially no modern software or device. MP4, in stark contrast, is the default media format for the web, mobile, and desktop. Every web browser, every smartphone OS, every smart TV, and every media player on every platform supports MP4 natively. Converting AIFC to MP4 achieves maximum possible compatibility.
MP4 also provides robust metadata support, efficient streaming with the moov atom at file start, and compatibility with content delivery networks and social media platforms. For any use case involving sharing, streaming, or broad distribution of audio content, MP4 is the safest container choice.
Common Use Cases
- Making legacy AIFC audio universally playable on any device or platform
- Preparing AIFC recordings for upload to social media platforms that accept MP4
- Converting vintage Mac audio for embedding in web pages via HTML5 audio/video elements
- Distributing AIFC audio to recipients who lack specialized audio software
- Archiving AIFC content in the most future-proof container format available
How It Works
FFmpeg decodes the AIFC container (handling all codec variants) to raw PCM samples, then encodes as AAC-LC at a configurable bitrate (128-320 kbps) or ALAC for lossless quality. The audio stream is muxed into an MP4 container with the moov atom positioned at the start of the file (faststart) for efficient progressive download and streaming. MPEG-4 metadata atoms store title, artist, album, and other tag fields.
Quality & Performance
AAC-LC at 256 kbps from an uncompressed AIFC PCM source produces perceptually transparent output. ALAC inside MP4 preserves bit-for-bit lossless quality with 40-60% compression. The MP4 container is purely a wrapper and adds no quality degradation. MACE-compressed AIFC sources are limited by their original quality regardless of the MP4 audio settings.
Device Compatibility
| Device | AIFC | MP4 |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Native |
| macOS | Partial | Native |
| iPhone/iPad | Partial | Native |
| Android | Partial | Native |
| Linux | Partial | Native |
| Web Browser | No | Native |
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
- 1Use the .m4a extension instead of .mp4 for audio-only files to help media players classify the content correctly
- 2Enable faststart (moov atom first) for MP4 files intended for web delivery or streaming
- 3AAC at 256 kbps matches the iTunes Store quality standard and is overkill for most listening scenarios
- 4For lossless archival in MP4, use ALAC — it is functionally identical to FLAC but wrapped in the MPEG-4 container
- 5If the AIFC source uses MACE compression, preview the audio before batch converting to verify acceptable quality
AIFC to MP4 converts the most obscure Apple audio format into the most universal container on the planet. AAC at 256 kbps provides transparent quality for distribution; ALAC provides lossless archival.