Audio Interchange File Format

Audio Interchange File Format
(AIFF)
Filename extension
.aiff
.aif
.aifc
Internet media type
audio/x-aiff
audio/aiff
Type codeAIFF, AIFC
Uniform Type Identifier (UTI)public.aiff-audio
public.aifc-audio
Developed byApple Inc.
Initial release21 January 1988; 36 years ago (1988-01-21)[1]
Latest release
1.3
January 4, 1989; 35 years ago (1989-01-04)
AIFF-C / July 1991; 33 years ago (1991-07)[2]
Type of formataudio file format, container format
Extended fromIFF (File format)

Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is an audio file format standard used for storing sound data for personal computers and other electronic audio devices. The format was developed by Apple Inc. in 1988 based on Electronic Arts' Interchange File Format (IFF, widely used on Amiga systems) and is most commonly used on Apple Macintosh computer systems.

The audio data in most AIFF files is uncompressed pulse-code modulation (PCM). This type of AIFF file uses much more disk space than lossy formats like MP3—about 10 MB for one minute of stereo audio at a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and a bit depth of 16 bits. There is also a compressed variant of AIFF known as AIFF-C or AIFC, with various defined compression codecs.

In addition to audio data, AIFF can include loop point data and the musical note of a sample, for use by hardware samplers and musical applications.

The file extension for the standard AIFF format is .aiff or .aif. For the compressed variants it is supposed to be .aifc, but .aiff or .aif are accepted as well by audio applications supporting the format.

  1. ^ Apple Computer, Inc. (1989-01-04), Audio Interchange File Format, A Standard for Sampled Sound Files, Version 1.3 (PDF), retrieved 2010-03-21
  2. ^ P. Kabal (2005-03-15). "Audio File Format Specifications - AIFF / AIFF-C Specifications". McGill University. Retrieved 2010-03-21.