Step 1: Drop your AIFF files using the button above or by deposit and leave.
Step 2: Click the 'Convert' button to start the conversion.
Step 3: Receive your converted FLAC files.
AIFF to FLAC Conversion FAQ
How do I convert AIFF audio to FLAC without quality loss?
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Upload the AIFF file and our converter chooses the FLAC codec / bitrate combination that matches the source. Lossless target (FLAC = WAV / FLAC / ALAC) preserves every sample; lossy target (FLAC = MP3 / AAC / OGG) defaults to 192 kbps which is transparent for spoken-word audiobooks and most music.
Is AIFF to FLAC genuinely lossless?
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Yes. Both formats keep every sample, so decoding the FLAC returns a bit-identical copy of the audio inside the AIFF. Nothing is quantised, nothing is discarded, and the conversion can be repeated indefinitely without accumulating artefacts. What changes is the file size and which software will open it. AIFF stores uncompressed big-endian PCM — the Apple-side equivalent of WAV, with the same bit-for-bit fidelity. FLAC uses linear prediction plus Rice coding to reach roughly 50-60% of the original size while decoding back to bit-identical PCM.
What bitrate does the FLAC file use?
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Default is 192 kbps for lossy FLAC; pass-through for lossless FLAC. Override to 320 kbps for audiophile or 64-96 kbps for spoken-word audiobooks (transparent for voice, halves the file size).
Will going from AIFF to FLAC reduce my audio quality?
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If AIFF is lossy and FLAC is lossless (e.g. MP3 → WAV), the FLAC file is no better than the AIFF — you can't recover information that's already been thrown away. If AIFF is lossless and FLAC is lossy, expect the FLAC codec to recompress; at 192 kbps this is transparent for most content.
Does the AIFF to FLAC converter keep ID3 / metadata tags?
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Yes — title, artist, album, year, track number, album art, and chapter markers (important for audiobooks) are read from AIFF and written into the FLAC container where the FLAC format supports tags. M4B audiobook structure round-trips into M4B and AAX → M4B output.
Can I batch convert hundreds of AIFF files to FLAC?
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Yes — drop a folder of AIFF files in and we process them in parallel. Premium has more parallel workers and no per-file size cap, so a 500-file batch finishes in minutes rather than tens of minutes.
Will the FLAC keep the same sample rate as AIFF?
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By default yes (48 kHz AIFF → 48 kHz FLAC). If you need to downsample for compatibility (e.g. 96 kHz → 44.1 kHz for CD burning) the advanced sample-rate option does this with high-quality resampling.
Can I normalize loudness in the AIFF to FLAC step?
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Yes — the loudness-normalize option applies ITU-R BS.1770 / EBU R128 normalization to the FLAC output, targeting -14 LUFS (streaming standard), -16 LUFS (podcast standard), or -23 LUFS (audiobook standard). Useful when batch-converting tracks with varying mastering levels.
Will the FLAC play on my car stereo / iPod / audiobook app?
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MP3 plays universally. AAC plays on Apple, most Android, Sonos. FLAC plays on Sonos and Android, less well on older iPods. M4B audiobooks play with chapter navigation on iOS Books, Audiobookshelf, and Smart Audiobook Player. The advanced options include device presets.
Is my AIFF file private during conversion?
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Yes — uploaded AIFF files are processed in isolated workers and deleted within minutes. We never play, store, or share the audio content. Especially important when working with personal audiobook libraries.
How long does converting a 10-hour audiobook AIFF to FLAC take?
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Same-codec re-mux: 10-30 seconds. Re-encode to a different codec: typically 10-20% of source duration, so a 10-hour audiobook finishes in 60-120 minutes. Chapter markers survive the round-trip and split cleanly.
Why is the FLAC file louder / quieter than the AIFF source?
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No automatic gain change happens unless you turn on the normalize option. If you do see a level change, your audio player or media library may be applying ReplayGain or per-track normalization on playback — not us.
