What is a .aif file?
A .aif file is an AIFF/Amiga/Mac audio. Its registered MIME type is audio/x-aiff, which places it in the audio family of formats.
AIFF stands for Audio Interchange File Format.
Technically it is a specialised form of application/x-iff, so tools that understand that format can often read at least part of it.
AIF is a binary format: the contents are not readable text, so opening it in a text editor shows scrambled characters.
The same format is also saved with the extensions .aifc, .aiff.
AIF file format details
| Extension | .aif |
|---|---|
| Format | AIFF/Amiga/Mac audio |
| MIME type | audio/x-aiff |
| Category | Audio |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| Based on | application/x-iff |
| File signature | None fixed |
| Registered with IANA | No |
| Other extensions | .aifc, .aiff |
How to open AIF files
| Windows | VLC media player is free and plays almost every audio and video format, AIF included in most cases. Media Player and Films and TV handle the common ones. |
|---|---|
| Mac | QuickTime Player plays formats Apple supports. VLC or IINA play most others. |
| iPhone and iPad | The Files app plays formats Apple supports. VLC for iOS plays most others. |
| Android | Most gallery and music apps play common formats; VLC for Android plays almost everything. |
Convert AIF files
TapToConvert converts AIF files in your browser, without uploading them. Open the AIF converter, or go straight to a conversion:
AIF file FAQ
What is a .aif file?
A .aif file is an AIFF/Amiga/Mac audio, with the MIME type audio/x-aiff.
How do I open a .aif file?
VLC media player plays most audio and video formats on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.
Is a .aif file safe to open?
AIF files hold data rather than programs, but any file from an unknown source can be crafted to exploit the software that opens it. Keep that software up to date. The viewer on this page only reads the bytes and never runs anything.
What is the MIME type of .aif?
audio/x-aiff. Web servers send this type so browsers know how to handle the file.
Is AIF a text or binary format?
Binary. Its contents are not readable as text.
File type facts come from the IANA media type registry, the mime-db project and the freedesktop.org shared MIME database.