Compress AIFF to AAC
Need smaller audio files? Converting AIFF to AAC dramatically reduces file size. A 50MB file becomes 5MB. Perfect for email, sharing, and storage.
Drop your AIFF file here or click to browse
AIFF (.aiff) · Max 20 MB
AIFF files are uncompressed and huge. AAC uses lossy compression to shrink them by 90% or more. The size reduction is significant for sharing, uploading, and storage.
For email attachments, 128-192kbps works well. For music sharing, use 256-320kbps. AudioUtils lets you drop your file and convert instantly. No upload to a server, no waiting.
AIFF is lossless. Converting to AAC reduces file size at the cost of some audio data. Use a high bitrate to minimize loss. Choose the right bitrate for your use case. Higher bitrate means better quality but larger files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is AIFF so much larger than AAC?
AIFF stores raw uncompressed PCM — every audio sample, no compression. CD-quality stereo AIFF is ~10 MB per minute. AAC at 256 kbps is ~2 MB per minute, achieved by discarding audio data the psychoacoustic model considers inaudible. The size ratio is typically 5–8× smaller for AAC versus AIFF, with no audible difference at high bitrates.
What AAC bitrate should I pick from an AIFF master?
256 kbps for archival quality — Apple Music's stream rate, transparent on almost any music. 192 kbps for everyday listening. 128 kbps for voice and audiobooks. Going from a clean AIFF source means even 192 kbps AAC sounds excellent because there's no noise floor or artifact stack to compound.
Is the output .aac or .m4a?
Our output is .m4a — AAC audio in an MP4 container, which is what iTunes, Apple Music, and iPhone expect. Drop the .m4a directly into iTunes or your Music app.
Will GarageBand and Logic Pro project metadata transfer?
Track-level metadata (title, artist, year if you set them in the AIFF) transfers to the M4A. Project-level information (BPM, key, marker positions) does not — that's session metadata, not file metadata.
Should I use ALAC instead?
Use ALAC (Apple Lossless) if you want to keep AIFF's lossless quality but in a smaller, Apple-friendly container. ALAC is roughly half the size of AIFF with bit-perfect quality preservation. Use AAC when file size matters more than perfect quality — which is true for portable use on most listeners.
Will the conversion work for AIFF-C or compressed AIFF?
Yes. AIFF-C is the variant container that can hold compressed audio (rare these days). Our converter detects the variant and decodes accordingly. Standard AIFF (uncompressed PCM) is the common case and converts directly.
About AIFF
Apple's uncompressed format. Similar to WAV but with better metadata support. Used in professional Mac audio workflows.
About AAC
Advanced Audio Coding. Successor to MP3 with improved compression. Widely used in streaming services.