Format comparison
AIFF vs WAV
AIFF is Apple’s classic uncompressed audio; WAV is the more universal PCM exchange format on Windows and most DAWs.
Decision table
| Feature | AIFF | WAV |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Uncompressed PCM | Uncompressed PCM |
| Quality | Lossless PCM | Lossless PCM |
| Best ecosystem | Classic Mac audio | Cross-platform / Windows |
| DAW interchange | Good | Slightly more universal |
| Typical size | Huge | Huge |
| Delivery format | No — convert to AAC/MP3 | No — convert to AAC/MP3 |
Choose AIFF when…
- Logic/GarageBand PCM exports
- Mac-centric archives
Choose WAV when…
- Windows studio exchange
- Tools that list WAV first
- Broadest PCM interchange
Verdict
Use either as an uncompressed master. Prefer WAV when exchanging with Windows-centric studios; AIFF is fine inside Logic/GarageBand trees.
Convert between them
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