Shrink an AIFF to an M4A that plays anywhere
From a studio-size file to a share-size one: AAC at 256 kbps, native on the Apple gear the AIFF came from.
Runs in your browser. Your file never leaves your computer.
- QualityNear-transparent at 256 kbps
- Typical sizeAbout 5× smaller
- Plays onEverything current
- Our default256 kbps AAC
An AIFF bounce is the right thing to keep and the wrong thing to send. At around 10 MB a minute it clogs mail and chat, and the receiver's phone would have played a fraction of that size just as happily. M4A with AAC at 256 kbps is that fraction: about a fifth the bytes, effectively the same sound, native on the Apple devices where AIFFs are usually born. The encode runs on your machine with optional trim.
Questions
Should I send AIFF or M4A?
Send M4A unless the receiver asked for a master. It is a fifth of the size and plays instantly on whatever they open it with.
How much quality does the M4A give up?
At 256 kbps, almost none that ears detect. Blind tests on ordinary material rarely separate it from the original.
Can I keep a lossless copy too?
Yes, and you should for anything irreplaceable: the AIFF to FLAC page makes an archive copy at half the AIFF's size.
Is the bounce uploaded?
No. Your browser does the encoding and the M4A saves to your disk.
Related conversions
- AIFF to FLACApple's uncompressed studio format packed losslessly to about half the size, with tags that actually work.
- AIFF to MP3The universally playable delivery format, encoded from your uncompressed audio on your own machine.
- AIFF to OGGThe efficiency codec for web and app work, straight from uncompressed source, no server in the loop.
- AIFF to WAVSame uncompressed audio, different wrappers. When a tool insists on WAV, this swaps the wrapper without touching a sample.
- WAV to M4AAAC at 256 kbps: better sound per megabyte than MP3, native on every Apple device, fine everywhere else.
- FLAC to M4AYour lossless library, made playable on iPhones and everything else, at 256 kbps AAC.
Part of convert audio files in your browser. Every other conversion is on the conversions index.