MP3 to AIFF Converter
AIFF is the Mac's uncompressed audio format, and some tools want nothing else. Converting an MP3 decodes it once into plain PCM samples that a sampler, a DAW or a DJ library can load without any further decoding, while tags and cover art come along.
Audio Converter
or drop MP3, WAV, M4A … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Constant bitrate (CBR) gives a predictable size and works on every player. Variable bitrate (VBR) spends bits where the music needs them and is usually smaller at the same quality.
Keep the source rate unless a device asks for one. 44.1 kHz is CD standard, 48 kHz is video standard, 8 kHz is used by phone systems and AMR.
Mono halves the size of lossless files and is fine for voice recordings.
16-bit is CD quality. 24-bit keeps headroom for editing and mastering; converting a 16-bit source up does not add detail.
Optional. Seconds (e.g. 75) or minutes:seconds (1:15). Leave empty to start at the beginning.
Optional. Same format as the start time. Leave empty to keep everything up to the end.
How to use this tool
- 1
Choose the MP3s
Add up to 20 MP3 files, each up to 95 MB. Single samples, loops and full tracks all work.
- 2
Check the settings
Bit depth is 16-bit, more than enough for any MP3. Sample rate keeps the MP3's own rate; pick 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz if a device insists on one.
- 3
Convert to AIFF
Press Convert to AIFF and download the .aiff files individually or as one ZIP archive.
Why convert MP3 to AIFF
An MP3 is compressed in frames of 1,152 samples and has to be decoded every time it plays. That is fine for listening, but tools that cut, loop or trigger audio at exact positions work better with raw samples they can address directly. AIFF, which Apple introduced in 1988, gives them exactly that, and it is an export option in nearly every Mac audio app.
The other reason is tags. WAV files technically allow metadata, but support across apps is patchy, while AIFF carries standard ID3 tags that Mac software and the main DJ programs display. When a library has to stay uncompressed and searchable by artist and title, AIFF is the usual answer. If you mainly need lossless storage, MP3 to FLAC makes smaller files with the same samples.
Hardware samplers
Teenage Engineering's OP-1 builds its sampler and drum patches from AIFF files, and Elektron's Octatrack loads WAV or AIFF but not MP3.
Logic Pro and GarageBand
Both import MP3, but an AIFF loads as a regular audio region with no decoding step, which suits heavy slicing and flex editing.
DJ libraries
rekordbox, Serato and Traktor play AIFF with full tags and artwork, so an uncompressed collection still sorts and searches properly.
MP3 to AIFF converter: how much bigger the file gets
4-minute MP3 at 128 kbps
3.8 MB
Compressed, decoded on every play
Same track as 16-bit AIFF
42 MB
44.1 kHz stereo PCM, 1,411 kbps
The AIFF's size depends only on length, sample rate, bit depth and channels, never on the MP3's bitrate: 16-bit 44.1 kHz stereo always runs at 1,411 kbps, about 10.6 MB per minute. A 320 kbps MP3 grows by about four and a half times, a 128 kbps one by about eleven.
Keep 16-bit unless your project runs at 24-bit; an MP3 has no detail that 24 bits would preserve, so the extra depth only makes the file 50% larger. Mono samples can be halved in size with Channels set to mono.
MP3 and AIFF format details
MP3
MP3 audio
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer III) is a lossy audio format developed largely at the Fraunhofer Institute and standardised by MPEG in 1993. It removes sounds the ear is unlikely to notice, shrinking music to about a tenth of CD size at 128–320 kbps. All patents have expired, and every phone, car stereo, browser and media player supports it. Quality loss is audible at low bitrates and accumulates with re-encoding.
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 1993 · Fraunhofer IIS / MPEG
AIFF
Audio Interchange File Format
AIFF is an uncompressed audio format developed by Apple in 1988, based on Electronic Arts' IFF. It stores PCM audio at the same quality as WAV and supports richer metadata, which makes it common in Mac music production and Logic Pro. Files are large, about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo. Most editors and players read AIFF, though some web tools and Android apps do not.
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 1988 · Apple
MP3 is how most loops, samples and tracks are downloaded, while hardware samplers, Mac studio software and tag-aware DJ libraries load uncompressed AIFF; decoding once avoids repeated decoding and gives sample-accurate start points.
Questions about MP3 to AIFF
Does converting MP3 to AIFF improve the sound?
No. AIFF stores exactly what the MP3 decoder produces, including everything the MP3 encoder already removed. What you gain is a file that no longer needs decoding, which suits samplers, slicing and sample-accurate edits.
Can AIFF files keep artist, title and artwork?
Yes. AIFF can carry an ID3 chunk, the same kind of tags MP3 uses, and Apple's Music app, rekordbox and Serato read them. With Keep tags and cover art on, the MP3's tags are copied across, which is one of the main reasons DJs pick AIFF over WAV.
Should I choose AIFF or WAV for a Mac?
Both hold identical PCM audio and every Mac app opens both. Choose AIFF when tags matter or a device lists only AIFF; choose WAV when the files will also go to Windows tools or a broadcaster. The AIF to WAV page converts between them later without any loss.
Will a 44.1 kHz MP3 sound wrong in a 48 kHz project?
Most DAWs resample imported audio automatically, but some samplers play files at their own rate, which shifts pitch and tempo. Set Sample rate to the project or device rate here so the AIFF matches before you import it.
Is there a limit on how long the AIFF can be?
Each MP3 you upload can be up to 95 MB, which is several hours of audio at typical bitrates, but the AIFF will be about ten times larger. If you only need a loop or a hit, set Start at and End at under Advanced settings and keep the file small.
