.AIFF File Extension

In 1988, Apple developed the Audio Interchange File Format. The AIFF format is a variant of the .IFF format, which Electronic Arts (EA) developed to store assets used in video games.

Unlike .MP3 files and many other common audio files, AIFF files are uncompressed . Because AIFF files' data is not compressed, AIFF files typically contain higher-quality audio than similar MP3 files. However, the files also take up more disk space since they store more data.

In the 2000s, Apple iTunes and other audio applications burned AIFF files onto audio CDs. Standard CD audio AIFF files are sampled at 44.1KHz, are 16-bit, and have two channels for stereo sound. Nowadays, people primarily use AIFF files to store audio created by a digital audio workstation ( DAW ).

To open a .aiff file, you need compatible software that supports this file format.