How to convert MP3 to AIFF
- 1
Upload your file
Drag and drop a file or click to select one. Keep this page open while the file uploads and converts.
- 2
Convert MP3 to AIFF
NexMedia converts MP3 to AIFF on its own servers. Processing time depends on the file size and how busy the queue is.
- 3
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 MP3
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer III) is a lossy audio format from the early 1990s. It removes the sound listeners are least likely to notice, typically at 128 to 320 kbit/s.
It plays on virtually every device and app, which makes it the default for music files, podcasts and audiobooks.
MP3 tops out at 320 kbit/s and two channels, and every re-encode removes a little more detail.
Convert MP3 to AIFF online free, no account required — AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format.
Change MP3 to AIFF without losing quality — convert MP3 to AIFF free in your browser.
Why does my MP3 sound muffled compared to the CD? The format discards frequencies the encoder deems inaudible, and a low bitrate throws away even more — re-encoding cannot bring them back.
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 MP3 to AIFF
- The audio is decoded and re-encoded as AIFF at the default settings, so the result is close to the MP3 but not bit-identical.
- MP3 is a lossy format and AIFF is not: the AIFF keeps the decoded MP3 exactly, but it cannot restore detail the MP3 compression already removed, and the file is usually larger.
- 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 MP3 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.
MP3 to AIFF: questions and answers
Does converting MP3 to AIFF reduce quality?
The audio is decoded and re-encoded as AIFF at the default settings, so the result is close to the MP3 but not bit-identical. MP3 is a lossy format and AIFF is not: the AIFF keeps the decoded MP3 exactly, but it cannot restore detail the MP3 compression already removed, and the file is usually larger. 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 MP3 and AIFF?
MP3 is a universally supported lossy audio format. AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format.
Can I change the settings when converting MP3 to AIFF?
Before you convert MP3 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 MP3 to AIFF?
No. You can convert MP3 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 MP3 is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
Will my AIFF keep the 24-bit sound of my MP3?
AIFF output is written as 16-bit PCM, so audio with a higher bit depth, such as 24-bit, is reduced to 16 bits.
Does converting MP3 to AIFF restore the quality the MP3 lost?
MP3 is a lossy format and AIFF is not: the AIFF keeps the decoded MP3 exactly, but it cannot restore detail the MP3 compression already removed, and the file is usually larger.