Convert AIFF to M4A

AIFF is intended for viewing and processing of audio data, as well as for its storage in digital devices. Apple designers developed it on the base of IFF in late 1980s. Thanks to lossless coding it is very similar to WAV. In Windows OS it is mostly used with .aiff extension.

AIFF files have gained great attention from Mac PC users. They are popular as well among professional musicians who are most particular about sound quality. The fact that the format is widely supported by various multimedia software, and universal players, may also be considered as a notable benefit. To open AIFF files in Windows OS it is required to install Apple iTunes, Windows Media Player, Roxio Creator, and some other programs.

When being coded, the stream is divided in sound segments. A minute of standard stereo sound corresponds with 10 Mb of memory, approximately. Standard non-compressed files use .aif or .aiff. In such files audio data are represented in the form of pulse code modulation. If some data are lost through codecs, .aifc is used.

A standard 16 bit AIFF file has 2 channels for stereo sound, and sampling frequency of 44 100 Hz. Being non-compressed, it differs in size significantly from MP3 and other similar formats. Sometimes it may contain samples and cycle information.

Apple Inc. has designed M4A format on the basis of QuickTime Fike. Now the format is being promoted in iTunes. It is a multimedia container intended for placement of sound components, as well as other data, such as images. MPEG-4 files may be stored with extensions M4A and MP4. In the latter case, they contain video as well.

Alongside these sound formats, MPEG-4 allows for lossy compaction, through FFC Codec. However, it is possible to provide a lossless compaction thanks to Apple Lossless format. The files may be played on Windows PCs via iTunes, Windows Media Player 12, KSP Sound Player, Winamp and some other programs. With iTunes, the data can be converted into Windows-supported audio formats.

In comparison with its predecessor MP3, M4A format provides with better sound quality and smaller file size. Thanks to lossless compaction, the data may be easily converted in both direction with no deterioration in quality. The sound data encoded with ACC compression, which reduces the file size considerably.

Due to protection technology DRM, MP4 files cannot be easily distributed, while it is much simpler to replicate files in M4A; that is why “Apple Lovers” prefer the latter format. With M4A, it is possible to buy music in iTunes, as well as download it into smartphones or other devices.