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Audio Conversion

Convert M4P to AIFF — Free Online Converter

Convert iTunes Protected AAC (.m4p) to Audio Interchange File Format (.aiff) online for free. Fast, secure audio conversion with no watermarks or regi...

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How to Convert

1

Upload your .m4p file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.

2

Choose your output settings. The default settings work great for most files.

3

Click Convert and download your .aiff file when it's ready.

About M4P to AIFF Conversion

M4P files contain AAC-encoded audio from Apple's original DRM-protected iTunes Store. AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is Apple's own uncompressed audio format, predating the iPod era — it stores raw PCM audio at full CD quality or higher. Converting M4P to AIFF decodes the compressed AAC audio and writes it as uncompressed PCM samples in the AIFF container.

This conversion is relevant for audio professionals working in Apple-centric production environments. Logic Pro, GarageBand, and Final Cut Pro all handle AIFF natively with zero import overhead. If you have old iTunes purchases that you want to use as source material in a production project, AIFF provides the cleanest working format within the Apple ecosystem.

Why Convert M4P to AIFF?

AIFF is the standard uncompressed format for macOS audio production. Digital audio workstations on Mac handle AIFF with lower latency than compressed formats because no real-time decoding is needed. Converting M4P to AIFF prepares old iTunes music for use in Logic Pro sessions, GarageBand projects, or Final Cut Pro timelines where you need sample-accurate editing without decoding artifacts.

AIFF also supports metadata through its ID3 chunk, unlike raw WAV which historically lacked standardized tagging. If you want uncompressed audio with embedded artist, title, and album information preserved from your iTunes library, AIFF is the superior choice over WAV for Apple workflows.

Common Use Cases

  • Import old iTunes purchases into Logic Pro or GarageBand as uncompressed source material
  • Create lossless working copies of M4P tracks for sample-accurate audio editing
  • Prepare iTunes music for Final Cut Pro video timelines requiring uncompressed audio
  • Archive iTunes purchases in an uncompressed Apple-native format for long-term preservation
  • Generate reference-quality playback files from compressed iTunes tracks for critical listening

How It Works

FFmpeg decodes the AAC audio from the M4P container and writes uncompressed PCM audio (16-bit signed integer, big-endian) at the original sample rate (typically 44.1 kHz) into an AIFF container. The AIFF file uses big-endian byte ordering per Apple's specification. The command typically uses -c:a pcm_s16be for standard CD-quality output. File sizes increase substantially — a 4-minute track at 128 kbps M4P (~3.8 MB) becomes approximately 40 MB as uncompressed AIFF.

Quality & Performance

The output AIFF contains the full decoded audio at uncompressed PCM quality, but it cannot exceed the fidelity of the original AAC encoding. A 128 kbps M4P file has already discarded audio information during AAC compression — decompressing to AIFF does not recover those frequencies. The AIFF will be larger but not higher quality than the M4P source. For 256 kbps iTunes Plus sources, the decoded AIFF is perceptually transparent to the original recording.

FFMPEG EngineFastMinimal Quality Loss

Device Compatibility

DeviceM4PAIFF
Windows PCPartialPartial
macOSPartialPartial
iPhone/iPadPartialPartial
AndroidPartialPartial
LinuxPartialPartial
Web BrowserNoNo

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

  • 1Verify DRM is removed before converting — unprotected M4P files convert cleanly to AIFF
  • 2Use 16-bit AIFF for standard production; 24-bit only adds file size without quality benefit from AAC sources
  • 3AIFF files are large — ensure sufficient disk space before batch converting an entire library
  • 4For cross-platform compatibility, consider WAV instead; for Apple-only workflows, AIFF is ideal
  • 5Keep the original M4P as your compact archive and use AIFF as the working copy in your DAW

M4P to AIFF conversion is ideal for Mac-based audio production workflows. The uncompressed output integrates seamlessly with Apple's professional tools, though quality remains bounded by the original AAC encoding.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The AIFF file contains the decoded AAC audio in uncompressed form, but no new detail is created. Quality is capped at whatever the M4P's AAC bitrate preserved from the original recording.
On macOS, AIFF has native metadata support through ID3 chunks, and Apple DAWs handle it with marginally less overhead than WAV. For cross-platform use, WAV is more universal. Both are uncompressed PCM.
Roughly 10x larger than a 128 kbps M4P. A 4-minute track goes from ~3.8 MB to ~40 MB. At 256 kbps M4P, the ratio is about 5x.
You can re-encode to AAC/M4A, but recreating a true M4P (with FairPlay DRM) is not possible. The round-trip also introduces a generation of quality loss from re-encoding.
Yes, AIFF supports up to 32-bit PCM. However, since M4P sources are AAC at 16-bit equivalent precision, converting to 24-bit AIFF adds zero-padded bits without actual dynamic range improvement.

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