Audio Format Comparison

AIFF vs ALAC: Apple's Two Lossless Audio Formats Compared

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is Apple's 1988 uncompressed audio format — raw PCM samples in a file, identical in concept to WAV but with an Apple header. ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) is Apple's 2004 lossless compressed format — the same audio data, 30–50% smaller, stored in an M4A container. Both decode to identical PCM audio; both are lossless. AIFF is older and more universally supported by DAWs; ALAC is more efficient and better integrated with Apple's modern ecosystem.

AIFFvsALAC

Quick Verdict

Use AIFF when…

Use AIFF for professional audio production and DAW work — it's universally supported by every audio tool on Mac and Windows, with no decoding layer between your audio and the software.

Use ALAC when…

Use ALAC for music library archiving and Apple Music ecosystem — 30–50% smaller files with identical quality, better metadata support, and native iOS/macOS integration.

AIFF vs ALAC: Feature Comparison

Feature	AIFF	ALAC
Compression	Uncompressed (PCM)	Lossless compressed
Audio quality	Bit-perfect	Bit-perfect (identical to AIFF)
File size (4-min song)	~40–50 MB	~22–35 MB
Metadata	ID3 tags (limited)	iTunes/M4A tags (rich — artwork, lyrics)
DAW support	Universal — every DAW natively	Logic Pro native; others vary
iTunes / Apple Music	Supported (older format)	Native (Apple's preferred lossless)
iOS playback	Yes	Yes (native)
Origin	Apple (1988)	Apple (2004)

When AIFF wins

✓Compression: Uncompressed (PCM)
✓Audio quality: Bit-perfect
✓File size (4-min song): ~40–50 MB

When ALAC wins

✓Compression: Lossless compressed
✓Audio quality: Bit-perfect (identical to AIFF)
✓File size (4-min song): ~22–35 MB

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert AIFF to ALAC without quality loss?

Yes — lossless-to-lossless conversion. FFmpeg: ffmpeg -i input.aiff -c:a alac output.m4a. This produces bit-perfect ALAC from AIFF. XLD on Mac handles this conversion with CUE sheet support and metadata preservation. The decoded ALAC is identical to the original AIFF.

Which is better for Logic Pro: AIFF or ALAC?

AIFF is the traditional choice for Logic Pro as it requires zero decoding overhead and is Logic's native format for recordings. ALAC works in Logic Pro X but AIFF is preferred for session media (samples, recordings). For archived project assets that won't be actively used in sessions, ALAC saves significant storage.