At the beginning, I will walk you through the overview of AIFF and ALAC to help you have a basic understanding of them. Meanwhile, the full comparison of AIFF vs ALAC is also included to aid you in figuring out their main differences. Now, let’s get started.
Overview of AIFF and ALAC
AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is an audio format that can store audio data for personal computers and other audio devices. Especially, AIFF is commonly used on Apple Macintosh computer systems. ALAC, also known as Apple Lossless Audio Codec, is an audio coding format that is used for lossless data compression of digital music. How to choose a proper option from ALAC and AIFF? Comparing the differences between them can help you verify which format should be your choice.
Side-by-Side Comparison of AIFF vs ALAC
In this part, I will show you the difference between AIFF and ALAC from 3 aspects, including compression, usage, and pros & cons.
AIFF vs ALAC: Compression
When talking about ALAC vs AIFF, one of its main differences is the compression. Both of them are lossless audio formats. AIFF is uncompressed, while ALAC is compressed. In short, they use different compression algorithms to compress audio data. Compared with ALAC files, AIFF files have large file sizes. One thing you need to pay attention to is that ALAC files also have good audio quality. Though ALAC is compressed, it doesn’t sacrifice the audio quality.
AIFF vs ALAC: Usage
It is also important to understand the common usage of different audio formats. AIFF is an uncompressed lossless audio format, preserving all original audio data, which is commonly used for storing high-quality audio on Mac systems. In comparison to AIFF, ALAC is widely used for digital music management and playback on iOS devices and within the Apple ecosystem.
AIFF vs ALAC: Pros and Cons
Apple lossless vs AIFF, which audio format is better? The most straightforward way to figure out which format to pick is to know their pros and cons. Here are the pros and cons of AIFF and ALAC.
Pros and Cons of AIFF
Pros:
- Uncompressed lossless compression. It can maintain all original audio data and provide the highest audio quality.
- High audio quality. It can be used in a professional audio environment.
- Compatibility. It is widely supported by most audio software and hardware.
Cons:
- It has a large file size owing to its compression method.
Pros and Cons of ALAC
Pros:
- Lossless compression. It provides lossless compression without sacrificing the audio quality.
- Small file size. It uses the compressed compression method to reduce file size.
Cons:
- It is not commonly supported by non-Apple devices.
How to Convert AIFF Files with Ease
AIFF files have large file sizes, which makes them unsuitable for file sharing. Also, if your device is short in storage space, it is better to convert AIFF to a format with a small file size. What’s more, it is better to convert AIFF to MP3 if your device or applications do not support AIFF. How to convert AIFF files easily? MiniTool Video Converter is highly recommended, which is a completely free AIFF converter without a file size limit or watermark.
It supports a wide range of formats. You can use it to convert from AIFF to not only MP3 and other audio formats but also to other video formats like MP4, MKV, M4V, MOV, etc. Moreover, it provides you with some advanced format parameter customization, like changing the encoder, resolution, frame rate, and others. Below is how to convert AIFF with MiniTool Video Converter.
Step 1. Download, install, and launch MiniTool Video Converter.
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Step 2. Click on Add Files to import the target AIFF files for conversion.
Step 3. Hit the Edit option (a pen icon) in the Target box, switch to the Audio tab, and choose a needed audio format.
Step 4. Click the Convert button to activate the conversion process. Once done, go to the Converted tab and click Show in folder to locate the converted file.
Conclusion
AIFF vs ALAC, which audio format should be your choice? It is based on your needs for sound quality, file size, and usage. This post has shown you a side-by-side comparison of Apple lossless vs AIFF. Hopefully, this post will be helpful to you. As a bonus, I also recommend an exceptional AIFF converter to transcode AIFF into various audio and video formats.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Olivia is always full of enthusiasm for life and loves to record. She often records beautiful and memorable moments of life with her camera and then uses some editing tools to put the photos, videos and audio together. She also has a passion for writing and offers suggestions to readers on images, audio, videos and news. To provide more professional articles and solve problems for readers, she is continuing to learn multimedia as well.