What happens when you convert M4A to AIFF
- The audio is decoded and written as 16-bit big-endian PCM.
How to convert M4A to AIFF online
- Press "Choose M4A files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
- Adjust the settings if you need to: the bitrate controls quality and size. The defaults suit most people.
- Press "Convert to AIFF". The first audio or video conversion downloads the converter engine, about 32 MB, which your browser then keeps for next time.
- Save each AIFF with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert M4A to AIFF?
M4A files usually come from iTunes purchases, iPhone voice memos and Apple Music downloads. People convert them to AIFF because AIFF is the uncompressed format Logic Pro, GarageBand and many Mac tools prefer.
In short, M4A is good at what it was made for, and AIFF is the more practical choice when the file has to play on another device or app. M4A plays in all current browsers and every Apple device, while AIFF plays in Safari; Chrome and Firefox do not play it.
How to convert M4A to AIFF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your M4A files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each AIFF is saved to your Downloads folder. If you prefer a desktop program, VLC can also convert M4A to AIFF: choose Media, then Convert / Save.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the M4A files from Finder onto the drop zone and the AIFF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose M4A files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted AIFF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose M4A files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The AIFF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it. Keep the screen on while a long video converts, because Android may pause a tab in the background.
Best settings for M4A to AIFF
AIFF is lossless, so there is no quality setting: every sample of the decoded M4A is kept. What changes is size. CD-quality stereo, 44.1 kHz at 16 bits, takes about 10 MB per minute as uncompressed PCM.
The M4A is lossless too, so the conversion is exact in both directions.
M4A vs AIFF: the differences
| M4A | AIFF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 Audio | Audio Interchange File Format |
| Type | audio | audio |
| Created by | Apple, on the MPEG-4 standard | Apple |
| First released | 2001 | 1988 |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Usually contains | AAC, or ALAC for lossless files | uncompressed PCM, big-endian |
| In a browser | plays in all current browsers and every Apple device | plays in Safari; Chrome and Firefox do not play it |
| Common uses | iTunes purchases, iPhone voice memos and Apple Music downloads | Logic Pro, GarageBand and Mac audio production |
| MIME type | audio/mp4 | audio/aiff |
About M4A and AIFF files
What is an M4A file?
M4A is an MP4 file that only holds audio, which is why renaming one to .mp4 often works. Voice Memos on iPhone saves recordings as M4A.
What is an AIFF file?
AIFF is Apple's uncompressed counterpart to WAV, holding the same audio with bytes stored in the opposite order. Unlike WAV it has a standard place for track names and artwork.
M4A to AIFF not working? Common problems
- The conversion is slow. Audio and container changes take seconds, but re-encoding video runs on your own processor. Lower the resolution to 720p, close other tabs, and keep the device plugged in.
- The tab stops or reloads on a very large file. Browsers limit how much memory one tab can use, around 2 GB and less on phones. Split long recordings or convert them on a computer.
- Song titles are missing. Tags such as title and artist are copied when AIFF can store them, but cover art is not carried over.
Convert M4A to AIFF with ffmpeg
This converter runs ffmpeg inside your browser. If you would rather use the ffmpeg command line on your own computer, this command produces an equivalent AIFF with the same kind of settings:
ffmpeg -i input.m4a -vn -c:a pcm_s16be output.aiffReplace input.m4a with the name of your file. For a whole folder of M4A files, run the command in a loop, or drop them all on the converter above, which processes them one after another.
M4A to AIFF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting M4A to AIFF?
No further quality is lost, because AIFF is written losslessly. Detail the M4A compression already removed does not come back.
Why is the AIFF a different size from the M4A?
The AIFF is usually larger, because it stores every sample without compression losses, while the M4A was compressed lossily.
Are my M4A files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside this browser tab using ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, so your files stay on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page and converter engine have loaded and it still works.
Can I convert several M4A files to AIFF at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open an AIFF file?
AIFF plays in Safari; Chrome and Firefox do not play it. AIFF is common for Logic Pro, GarageBand and Mac audio production.
Is this M4A to AIFF converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The site is paid for by advertising, and because conversions run on your device there is no server cost per file.
Can I convert M4A to AIFF on my phone?
Yes. The converter works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. Converted files are saved to the Downloads folder.