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CAF to AIFF converter

Convert CAF to AIFF in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I want AIFF
Advanced 4
sec

Leave both at 0 for the whole file.

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Bytes of your files sent anywhere: 0 B

Related conversions

Other ways to convert CAF

Convert other formats to AIFF

Read more about the CAF format and the AIFF format, or see every audio tool and all audio conversions.

Should you convert CAF to AIFF?

A lossless move: CAF and AIFF both keep every sample, so the sound is identical and you can convert back at any time.

AIFF also plays in more places: Macs, iPhones and pro audio software; some Windows and web apps prefer WAV.

CAF is Apple’s professional audio container; AIFF is uncompressed audio, Apple’s equivalent of WAV. Use AIFF for editing in Mac audio software, or when a Mac workflow asks for it.

CAF and AIFF compared
Property CAF AIFF
Compression Depends on the codec inside Uncompressed
Typical quality PCM, AAC or ALAC 16-bit PCM
Support Mainly an Apple format Opens almost everywhere
Best for Audio inside Apple apps and iOS development Audio production on Macs, and importing into Logic or GarageBand
Introduced 2005 1988

How to convert CAF to AIFF

  1. 01

    Add your CAF

    Drop your CAF file onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.

  2. 02

    Check the settings

    The output is already set to AIFF. Change the bitrate if you want to; the defaults suit most files.

  3. 03

    Save the AIFF

    Press convert and save the AIFF. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when CAF becomes AIFF

Identical sound

Both formats are lossless, so the audio isn’t changed at all. Only the file size and which apps open it differ.

Who needs AIFF

Use AIFF for editing in Mac audio software, or when a Mac workflow asks for it.

A one-time engine download

CAF is decoded by FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, a 31 MB download the first time. After that it is cached, and the conversion never leaves your device.

Expect a larger file

AIFF generally takes more room than CAF. If the file has to fit an upload limit, check the size once it’s converted. CAF: Depends on the codec inside. AIFF: About 10 MB a minute at CD quality.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of CAF and AIFF, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Recordings are often private: interviews, voice notes, unreleased music. Your browser can decode and encode audio itself, so there is no reason to send it anywhere.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

  • About the CAF. A CAF can hold uncompressed PCM, AAC or Apple Lossless, so two CAF files of the same length can differ tenfold in size.
  • About the AIFF. AIFF stores samples in the opposite byte order to WAV; tools that assume WAV turn it into loud static.
  • MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, Opus and FLAC are converted by your browser directly. WMA, AMR, APE, AC3 and the other specialist formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download.

Questions

Does converting CAF to AIFF lose quality?

No quality is lost converting to AIFF.

Will an AIFF play in my car or on my phone?

AIFF opens almost everywhere: Macs, iPhones and pro audio software; some Windows and web apps prefer WAV.

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