Convert AIFF to M4A
Convert AIFF to M4A right in your browser — free, private, nothing is uploaded. Pick a bitrate (32–320 kbps) and shrink the file dramatically.
Convert AIFF to M4A →Free · Private — runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded
AIFF is Apple's classic uncompressed audio container — the Mac counterpart to WAV. Same raw PCM audio, same huge files, mostly seen in pro-audio sessions and older Mac workflows.
M4A wraps AAC audio in an MPEG-4 container — the format iTunes and Apple Music use. AAC squeezes better quality than MP3 out of the same bitrate, at the cost of slightly narrower support.
Converting AIFF to M4A trades a sliver of fidelity for a dramatic drop in size: an AIFF recording that hogs storage becomes an M4A file you can email, message or stream. It's the classic move for sharing voice memos, publishing spoken audio and fitting a music library onto a phone.
AIFF vs M4A
| AIFF | M4A | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | lossless — nothing discarded | lossy — some detail traded for size |
| Codec / container | uncompressed PCM in Apple's AIFF container | AAC audio in an MPEG-4 container |
| Typical file size | very large — roughly 10 MB per minute, like WAV | small — like MP3, often better quality per byte |
| Best for | Mac pro-audio sessions and sample libraries | Apple devices and small high-quality files |
| Strength | uncompressed PCM, like WAV; native on macOS | better quality than MP3 at the same bitrate |
| Watch out for | huge files; rarer than WAV outside Apple software | slightly less universal than MP3 |
| Compatibility | native on macOS; most editors elsewhere open it too | excellent on Apple devices; broad elsewhere |
How the conversion works
- Choose your AIFF file (up to 10 MiB). The button above opens the converter with M4A already selected as the target format.
- Pick a bitrate between 32 and 320 kbps — the default 192 kbps is transparent for most material, and values outside the range are clamped.
- Run the conversion and download the result — the output keeps your filename with a .m4a extension. Everything happens locally: the page runs ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, so your audio is never uploaded to a server.
What to expect
This step is lossy. The bitrate decides how much detail the M4A keeps: 192 kbps (the default) is transparent for most music, 128 kbps suits voice recordings, and 256–320 kbps is the choice for archiving. Your AIFF original keeps every sample, so hold on to it.
Embedded album art is dropped along the way: cover images ride along as a video stream, which audio-only outputs like M4A can't carry.
FAQ
How much quality do I lose converting AIFF to M4A?
At the default 192 kbps, M4A is transparent for most listeners and most material — you'd struggle to tell it from the AIFF original. Push the bitrate to 256–320 kbps for archiving, or drop to 128 kbps for voice recordings where size matters most.
What bitrate should I pick for the M4A file?
The converter accepts 32–320 kbps and defaults to 192 kbps, which is a good balance for music. Use 128 kbps for voice where size matters and 256–320 kbps for archiving. Values outside the range are clamped.
Is my AIFF file uploaded when converting to M4A?
No. The page downloads an ffmpeg WebAssembly build once, then converts your file locally in the browser tab — the audio never leaves your device. Input files up to 10 MiB are supported.