How to convert M4A (AAC/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 M4A (AAC/ALAC) to AIFF
NexMedia converts M4A (AAC/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 M4A (AAC/ALAC)
M4A is an MPEG-4 audio file: the MP4 container holding only audio, usually AAC and sometimes Apple Lossless (ALAC).
Music bought on iTunes, iPhone voice memos and many podcast downloads.
Whether an M4A is lossy or lossless depends on the codec inside, which the file extension does not show.
Convert M4A to AIFF online free, no account required — AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format.
Change M4A to AIFF without losing quality — convert M4A to AIFF free in your browser.
Why won't my car radio or old speaker play my M4A files? The MPEG-4 audio container is newer than MP3, and devices that only decode MP3 cannot read it until it is converted.
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 M4A to AIFF
- The audio is decoded and re-encoded as AIFF at the default settings, so the result is close to the M4A but not bit-identical.
- 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 M4A 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.
M4A to AIFF: questions and answers
Does converting M4A to AIFF reduce quality?
The audio is decoded and re-encoded as AIFF at the default settings, so the result is close to the M4A but not bit-identical. 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 M4A and AIFF?
M4A is an MPEG-4 audio file, usually holding AAC. AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format.
Can I change the settings when converting M4A to AIFF?
Before you convert M4A 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 M4A to AIFF?
No. You can convert M4A 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 M4A is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
Will my AIFF keep the 24-bit sound of my M4A?
AIFF output is written as 16-bit PCM, so audio with a higher bit depth, such as 24-bit, is reduced to 16 bits.
When I convert M4A to AIFF, is the audio re-encoded?
The audio is decoded and re-encoded as AIFF at the default settings, so the result is close to the M4A but not bit-identical.