How to convert Apple Lossless (ALAC) to AIFF
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Upload your file
Drag and drop a file or click to select one. Keep this page open while the file uploads and converts.
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Convert Apple Lossless (ALAC) to AIFF
NexMedia converts Apple Lossless (ALAC) to AIFF on its own servers. Processing time depends on the file size and how busy the queue is.
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Download the converted file
When the conversion finishes, the download appears on this page. Your converted file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
About Apple Lossless (ALAC)
Apple Lossless (ALAC) is Apple's lossless audio codec, usually stored in an .m4a file; Apple released it as open source in 2011.
Lossless music in iTunes, Apple Music and on iPhones.
ALAC files are smaller than WAV but several times larger than AAC, and many devices outside Apple's prefer FLAC.
Convert ALAC to AIFF online free, no account required — AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format.
Change ALAC to AIFF without losing quality — convert ALAC to AIFF free in your browser.
Why won't my Windows PC or Android phone play my ALAC files? Apple Lossless rarely ships outside Apple software, so converting to FLAC keeps the lossless quality on the rest of your devices.
About AIFF
AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) was developed by Apple in 1988 on the basis of the Electronic Arts IFF format, and it normally stores uncompressed PCM audio in big-endian byte order.
Professional audio on the Mac: Logic Pro and GarageBand projects, sample libraries and CD-quality masters.
AIFF files are as large as WAV files, about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo, and some Windows programs handle them less readily than WAV.
Why convert audio to AIFF? For Mac production work: it is uncompressed like WAV, and iTunes, Logic and the rest of Apple's toolchain read it natively.
What changes when you convert ALAC to AIFF
- ALAC and AIFF both store audio without lossy compression, so no lossy encoder discards detail on the way.
- AIFF output is written as 16-bit PCM, so audio with a higher bit depth, such as 24-bit, is reduced to 16 bits.
Settings you can change
Before you convert ALAC to AIFF, you can adjust: Audio codec, Rate control, Audio bitrate, Quality (VBR), Sample rate, Channels, Normalize loudness, Trim start, Trim duration, and Keep tags.
Limits
Each plan sets a maximum file size and a number of conversions per day, and video and audio files also have a maximum length. Guests can convert files up to 100 megabytes and 5 per day; a free account raises this to 500 megabytes and 25 per day; paid plans go up to 100 gigabytes.
Your converted AIFF file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
ALAC to AIFF: questions and answers
Does converting ALAC to AIFF reduce quality?
ALAC and AIFF both store audio without lossy compression, so no lossy encoder discards detail on the way. AIFF output is written as 16-bit PCM, so audio with a higher bit depth, such as 24-bit, is reduced to 16 bits.
What is the difference between ALAC and AIFF?
ALAC is Apple's lossless audio codec. AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format.
Can I change the settings when converting ALAC to AIFF?
Before you convert ALAC to AIFF, you can adjust: Audio codec, Rate control, Audio bitrate, Quality (VBR), Sample rate, Channels, Normalize loudness, Trim start, Trim duration, and Keep tags.
Do I need an account to convert ALAC to AIFF?
No. You can convert ALAC to AIFF without an account; signing in raises the file-size and daily limits.
How long is my converted AIFF file kept?
The AIFF file you convert from ALAC is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
Will my AIFF keep the 24-bit sound of my ALAC?
AIFF output is written as 16-bit PCM, so audio with a higher bit depth, such as 24-bit, is reduced to 16 bits.
Is converting ALAC to AIFF a truly lossless copy?
ALAC and AIFF both store audio without lossy compression, so no lossy encoder discards detail on the way.