Apple's original uncompressed audio format — WAV's older cousin, still the default in GarageBand and Logic Pro.
AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is Apple's uncompressed audio format, developed for the original Macintosh in the late 1980s, before WAV became Windows' equivalent standard. Like WAV, an AIFF file stores audio as raw PCM samples with no compression, which means no quality is lost, but it also means the files run just as large — several times the size of the same recording saved as MP3 or M4A. The two formats are close enough technically that the main practical difference is which platform originated them: AIFF on Mac, WAV on Windows, though modern software on both platforms generally reads either one without trouble. AIFF has stayed relevant mainly through Apple's own professional audio tools — GarageBand and Logic Pro still use it as a default export and internal working format — and through older Mac-native software that never adopted WAV. Someone handed an AIFF file today, whether from a GarageBand project, an old sample library, or professional recording gear, is usually looking to shrink it down for sharing rather than keep it in its original uncompressed state.
iPhone, iPad, and Mac play AIFF natively in Music, GarageBand, and Files — unsurprising given its Apple origins. Windows and most cross-platform audio software also read it without issue, since AIFF and WAV are similar enough that support for one usually implies support for the other.
AIFF's uncompressed size makes it unwieldy for sharing, messaging, or everyday storage, even though the format plays natively across Apple's ecosystem. Converting to M4A on-device compresses a GarageBand export or old recording down to something that is actually practical to send.
Filemorph can convert AIFF to M4A on-device — a much smaller file once a GarageBand export or old recording no longer needs to stay uncompressed.
Filemorph converts .aiff files entirely on-device on iPhone, iPad and Mac — no upload, no account, and it works in Airplane Mode.
Relevant operations in Filemorph:
Very little technically — both store uncompressed PCM audio at the same fidelity. AIFF originated on the Mac in the late 1980s while WAV became Windows' equivalent, but modern software on either platform generally handles both formats without issue.
AIFF has been Apple's native uncompressed audio format since the original Macintosh, so Apple's own audio tools, including GarageBand and Logic Pro, still default to it for full-quality exports and internal project files.
Yes. Filemorph converts AIFF to M4A entirely on the iPhone or iPad, so a GarageBand export or an old recording never has to be uploaded to a server just to become a smaller file.