Convert AIFF to WAV

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 significant 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 a notable benefit. To open AIFF files in Windows OS, installing Apple iTunes, Windows Media Player, Roxio Creator, and some other programs are required.

When being coded, the stream is divided into 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 two channels for stereo sound and a 44 100 Hz sampling frequency. Being non-compressed, it differs in size significantly from MP3 and other similar formats. Sometimes it may contain samples and cycle information.

WAV is one of the most common audio formats and stands for Waveform Audio File Format. It is intended for operation with a digitalized audio stream. However, it has also been used for non-audio data due to its sampling rate (1 Hz to 4.3 GHz). It contains musical compositions, voice recordings, and various audio effects. Developed by programmers from Microsoft and IBM, it is a crucial audio format for placing uncompressed sound files on Windows PCs. The wav wave files can be played back in QuickTime, Windows Media Player, Wav Player, and some other programs. In addition to that, they can be processed in audio editing apps.

When a file is compressed into WAV, the data are not supposed to be lost, and the quality is excellent. However, the format did not have a considerable market share due to its larger size than MP3. It must have enough time and disc space to upload and send such files via the Internet. One of WAV's major advantages is linked to Linear Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM) to store an audio stream. Consequently, a copy is just as good as an original, highly appraised by experts in music and professional users.

Sound files with this extension are recorded into 8 or 16 bit per sample. A standard option for CD Audio is an audio stream of 16 bit per sample and a sampling frequency of 44.1 KHz. One second of sound corresponds to 88 Kb of internal memory. WAV files can store metadata in the INFO chunk, and they also include integrated IFF lists.

In some cases, the standard format may be used for broadcasting. For instance, BBC stereo data of 44 100 Hz and 16 bit are generally accepted within the VCS system.