AIF to M4A: Convert Audio from AIF(AIFF/AIFC Apple Audio) to M4A(MPEG-4 Audio) with River Past Audio Converter, AIF2M4A converter, conversion

What is AIF?

Short for Audio Interchange File Format, a common format for storing and transmitting sampled sound. The format was developed by Apple Computer and is the standard audio format for Macintosh computers. It is also used by Silicon Graphics Incorporated (SGI).

The AIFF format is uncompressed so AIFF files tend to be large. However, there is another format called AIFF-Compressed (AIFF-C or AIFC) that supports compression ratios as high as 6:1.

AIFF files generally end with an .AIF or .IEF extension.

AIFC files generally end with an .AIFC extension.

AIFF and AIFC are standard audio format used on MacOS systems. AIFF is not compressed. AIFC is compressed.

Windows can decodec uncompressed AIFF. However, to decode AIFC, you need to have Apple QuickTime installed.

What is M4A?

Because of its exceptional performance and quality, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is at the core of the MPEG-4, 3GPP and 3GPP2 specifications and is the audio codec of choice for Internet, wireless and digital broadcast arenas. AAC provides audio encoding that compresses much more efficiently than older formats, such as MP3, yet delivers quality rivaling that of uncompressed CD audio.

To encode MPEG-4 audio, you need to have River Past MPEG-4 Booster Pack in addition to your audio software.

Additional Requirements

To convert from AIF(AIFF/AIFC Apple Audio) to M4A(MPEG-4 Audio) audio with River Past Audio Converter, you must have River Past MPEG-4 Booster Pack installed.

Launch River Past Audio Converter

Once River Past Audio Converter is installed properly, launch Audio Converter.

Add File

Click on the "Add File" button on the tool bar. The standard file open dialog appears. Select "AIFF/AIFC - MacOS AIFF" in its "Files of type" combo box.

Select the file you want to convert and click "Open". The file will be added to the conversion file list.

If the AIF file is uncompressed (normally with "aif" or "aiff" file extension), Windows should be able to decode it without any problem. However, compressed AIFC files may require QuickTime.

If you cannot add the AIF file, you may need to install QuickTime. We use QuickTime to decode compressed AIFC files.

River Past Audio Converter

Select output format

Use the setting panel on the bottom of the window to control the output format. Click on the toggle to the left of the "Format" label to expand the panel. Select "M4A - MPEG-4 Audio" as the "Audio Type".

Troubleshoot

If you have MPEG-4 Booster Pack installed, but don't see M4A as an output option, you have a problem with QuickTime installation.

Please make sure you have the latest QuickTime installed. Occasionally, QuickTime may be corrupted due to conflict with some other software. In any case, reinstalling QuickTime should fix this problem.

You can change the sample rate, channel (stereo or mono) and bits/sample, and bitrate.

Note: To convert to MPEG-4 audio, you must have River Past MPEG-4 Booster Pack installed.