AIFF file format

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.