How to Convert AIFF to WAV

AIFF and WAV usually both hold uncompressed PCM audio, so turning an AIFF file into a WAV is mostly a container change. The samples are rewritten from big-endian to little-endian byte order and placed in a different file structure. If the sample rate, bit depth and channel count stay the same, no audio quality is lost. The real risks are an unnoticed drop in bit depth, an unwanted resample, lost tags, and recordings too long for a standard WAV file.

Before you start

Decide where the conversion will run. Audacity, FFmpeg and the afconvert tool built into macOS process files on your own computer. Browser-based converters often upload the file to a remote server. Whether a particular site uploads your file and how long it keeps it are things to check in that service's own terms. Do not assume either way. For interviews, unreleased music or client recordings, a local tool is the safer default.

• Keep the original AIFF and write the WAV under a new name or into a separate folder, so you can redo the conversion with different settings.
• Note the source's sample rate, bit depth and channel count. You can find them in a media information tool, with ffprobe, or in Finder's Get Info window on a Mac.
• Check whether the file is plain AIFF or AIFF-C. AIFF-C can contain compressed audio. Converting it to WAV produces PCM, but it cannot restore detail that the earlier compression removed.
• Find out what the destination expects. Some samplers, broadcast systems or editing workflows require a specific sample rate or bit depth.
• Make sure there is enough disk space. A PCM WAV is roughly the same size as an uncompressed AIFF with the same settings.

Step-by-step instructions

Audacity (Windows, macOS, Linux)

• 1. Open the AIFF file, or drag it into an empty Audacity window.
• 2. Confirm that the project sample rate matches the file. Audacity normally adopts the rate of the first file you import.
• 3. Open the export command. In Audacity 3.4 and later it is File > Export Audio. In older versions it is File > Export > Export as WAV.
• 4. Choose WAV as the format and pick the encoding that matches the source, for example signed 16-bit PCM, signed 24-bit PCM or 32-bit float.
• 5. Enter a new file name, choose the destination folder and export. If a metadata dialog appears, review the fields before you confirm.

FFmpeg (command line, any platform)

FFmpeg's WAV output defaults to 16-bit PCM, so name the codec explicitly whenever the source uses a higher bit depth. Run ffprobe on the AIFF first to see its sample format, then use the matching command. FFmpeg keeps the original sample rate and channel count unless you tell it to change them.

• 16-bit source: ffmpeg -i input.aiff -c:a pcm_s16le output.wav
• 24-bit source: ffmpeg -i input.aiff -c:a pcm_s24le output.wav
• 32-bit float source: ffmpeg -i input.aiff -c:a pcm_f32le output.wav
• Whole folder in a macOS or Linux shell (adjust the codec to match your files): for f in *.aif .aiff; do ffmpeg -n -i "$f" -c:a pcm_s24le "${f%.}.wav"; done
• The -n option tells FFmpeg not to overwrite existing files. This prevents a repeated run from replacing earlier output.

macOS Terminal with afconvert

macOS includes afconvert, so you do not need to install anything. Use afconvert -f WAVE -d LEI24 input.aiff output.wav for a 24-bit source. Use LEI16 instead for 16-bit audio and LEF32 for 32-bit float. Always set the data format with -d so the bit depth is your decision rather than a default.

Online AIFF to WAV converters

A web converter can be convenient for an occasional small file. These services may limit upload size, and some quietly resample or change the bit depth. If the service shows sample rate or bit depth options, set them to match the source or to keep the original. Check its file retention terms before you upload anything private.

Check the output

Open the new file's properties and compare them with the AIFF. Running ffprobe on the WAV is the most detailed option. A media information tool or Finder's Get Info also shows the key fields. The Details tab in Windows file properties may show some of them, depending on the system.

• The format is WAV with PCM audio.
• The sample rate matches the source, unless you deliberately changed it.
• The bit depth or sample format matches the source.
• The channel count matches, for example stereo stays stereo.
• The duration is the same as the original.

File size is a quick sanity check. An uncompressed AIFF converted with the same settings should produce a WAV of very similar size, since only the headers differ. A much smaller WAV usually means the bit depth was reduced or the sample rate was lowered. A WAV larger than an AIFF-C source is expected if the source was compressed.

Then listen to the start, the end and the loudest passage, and open the file in the application that will actually use it. Check the metadata too. AIFF tags do not always carry over, and different programs read WAV tags inconsistently. If titles, artist names or other tags matter, verify them in the target software and keep the original AIFF as a reference.

Common problems and next steps

The WAV is 16-bit but the source was 24-bit: the converter used its default encoding. In FFmpeg, add -c:a pcm_s24le. In Audacity or an online AIFF WAV converter, select 24-bit PCM explicitly before exporting.

The sample rate changed: the tool resampled to a project or default rate. Set the rate to match the source, or choose the option that keeps the original, and export again from the untouched AIFF.

The file will not open or is reported as unsupported: run ffprobe on it to see what it actually contains. A file with an .aif extension may be AIFF-C with an uncommon codec, or a different format altogether. FFmpeg can decode many of these variants and write standard PCM WAV.

Very long or multichannel recordings fail or come out cut short: a standard WAV file cannot exceed 4 GB. If the destination supports RF64 or Wave64, use one of those. In FFmpeg, adding -rf64 auto switches to RF64 only when the output needs it. Otherwise, split the recording into shorter parts.

Many files to convert: the FFmpeg loop above handles a whole folder. In Audacity, you can build a macro that exports to WAV and apply it to a set of files. Spot-check a few results using the steps in the previous section before you delete or archive any originals.