AIFF vs WAV: Which Uncompressed Format Should You Choose?

When you record voice from a microphone, export a podcast mix or save audio from a video project, your software may offer two uncompressed options: AIFF and WAV. Both usually hold the same kind of audio data. The choice depends on where the file is going and what information needs to travel with it.

Define the alternatives

WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) was introduced by Microsoft and IBM and is built on the RIFF container. In everyday use it stores uncompressed linear PCM audio. A professional variant, Broadcast Wave (BWF), adds a standard metadata chunk that is widely used in film, broadcast and field recording.

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) was developed by Apple and is based on the IFF container. It also stores uncompressed PCM audio. It is closely associated with macOS and Apple's music and audio software.

This comparison covers both formats as containers for uncompressed PCM audio used in recording, editing, delivery and archiving. Compressed variants such as AIFF-C or WAV files carrying other codecs are a separate topic. Lossless compressed formats such as FLAC or ALAC are also out of scope.

Compare meaningful differences

Sound quality

At the same sample rate and bit depth, uncompressed WAV and AIFF contain the same audio samples, so neither format sounds better. The main technical difference is byte order. WAV stores samples little-endian and standard AIFF stores them big-endian, and audio software handles this automatically. Converting from one format to the other loses nothing if the sample rate and bit depth stay the same.

Compatibility

WAV is supported by almost every audio editor, video editor, operating system and hardware recorder, and many field recorders write WAV or BWF natively. AIFF is supported by major digital audio workstations and is native on macOS. Some consumer apps, web tools, hardware players and other software may not accept it. Check the import list of the specific app or device you will use, because support can change between versions.

Metadata and tags

Both formats can carry metadata, but software reads and writes it inconsistently. WAV files can include INFO chunks, BWF descriptions and timestamps, and sometimes ID3 tags. AIFF files often carry ID3 tags, which Apple's music library apps have historically used for titles and artwork. Do not assume tags or artwork will survive an export, conversion or upload. Open the file in your target app and confirm.

File size limits

Standard WAV uses 32-bit size fields, which caps a file at about 4 GB. AIFF has a similar size ceiling. Long multichannel recordings at high sample rates can reach this limit. Extensions such as RF64 and BW64 remove the limit for WAV, and some recorders split long takes into several files instead. Check how your recorder or editor handles long sessions before you rely on a single file.

Privacy and file handling

Neither format encrypts or protects audio. Metadata chunks may include the software name, creation dates, originator fields, track titles or artwork, depending on the tool that wrote the file. Inspect the metadata before sharing a recording. If you upload files to an online converter or editor, check that service's own terms for how it stores and deletes files.

Practical trade-offs

Most real decisions come down to a few common situations:

• Recording voice or interviews for a video edit, especially on Windows or in a mixed team: WAV avoids most import problems.
• Building a music library in Apple's apps where titles and artwork matter: AIFF has traditionally been the more tag-friendly uncompressed option there. Confirm this in your current app version.
• Delivering to a client, broadcaster or post-production editor: use the format in their specification, which is often WAV or BWF.
• Long multitrack or high sample rate sessions: plan for the size ceiling and check whether your tools support RF64 or split files.
• Archiving: either format preserves the audio. Record the sample rate and bit depth, and keep in mind that metadata support differs between apps.

Published specifications tell you what each format can hold. They do not tell you whether a particular app reads a specific tag, a 32-bit float file or an unusual sample rate. To find out, export a short sample and open it in every app in your chain before committing a whole project.

Choose for the use case

• Choose WAV if you share files across operating systems, send audio to people whose software you do not know, or need broadcast-style metadata.
• Choose AIFF if you work mainly on macOS, rely on embedded tags and artwork in your library, and every app downstream accepts AIFF.
• Keep your recorder's or editor's native format if you have no specific reason to convert, since both are uncompressed.
• Use whatever format is required when a platform, client or delivery specification names one.

If you do convert, keep the same sample rate and bit depth, and turn off resampling and dithering unless you actually need a different output. Check afterward that the length, channel count and tags came through. Keep the original file until you have confirmed the converted copy plays correctly in its destination.