Convert AIFF to MP3 or WAV on Mac

Pick the method that matches how many files you have.

1. Music app (no install). Open Music > Settings > Files > Import Settings and set Import Using to MP3 Encoder. Drag the AIFF into your library, select it, then choose File > Convert > Create MP3 Version. The new file sits beside the original. See Apple’s Music guide.
2. ffmpeg (free, Terminal). Install with brew install ffmpeg.
3. VLC (free, windowed). Media > Convert / Save, add the file, pick an MP3 profile.

ffmpeg -i track.aiff -codec:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k track.mp3

For a smaller, variable-bitrate MP3, use -q:a 2 instead of -b:a 192k. Our WAV to MP3 guide compares constant and variable bitrate in detail, and the same advice applies to AIFF.

AIFF and WAV hold the same uncompressed audio, so this is a rewrap, not a quality change. afconvert ships with macOS and does it in one line.

afconvert -f WAVE -d LEI16 track.aiff track.wav

LEI16 means 16-bit little-endian integer samples, the standard WAV layout. For 24-bit sources, use LEI24. Expect the WAV to be about the same size as the AIFF. In our test both files measured exactly the same size.

Do this for a whole folder with a loop:

for f in *.aiff; do
  afconvert -f WAVE -d LEI16 "$f" "${f%.aiff}.wav"
done

Files ending in .aif are the same format. Change the pattern to *.aif and the suffix to match.

Much smaller. We made a 30 second stereo test tone at 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, saved it as AIFF, and converted it. The tone is simpler than music, so lossy and FLAC sizes will differ on real tracks, but the AIFF and WAV figures follow from the format.

Uncompressed stereo at 44.1 kHz and 16 bits always works out to roughly 10 MB a minute, which is why AIFF libraries swell. Our audio compression guide and the bitrate explainer show how far you can go before it audibly hurts.

Choose by what you need next.

• Sharing, phones, email: MP3 or M4A. Small and universal.
• Archive without losing anything: FLAC or Apple Lossless, which are both smaller than AIFF and bit-exact.
• Editing in a DAW: keep the AIFF or WAV. Do not edit MP3s.

Never convert an MP3 back to AIFF to “restore” quality. The detail is gone. Keep your AIFF masters and make MP3 copies from them. The best audio converter for Mac roundup covers more destinations.

For AIFF specifically, Smol is the wrong tool today. In our test, Smol rejected an .aiff file for conversion with an “unsupported” error. It converts audio between M4A, MP3, WAV, FLAC and OGG, but AIFF is not on the input list we could confirm. Use the Music app, afconvert or ffmpeg above, all free.

If you have WAV, FLAC or other audio in mixed folders and want batches from the Finder right-click menu with nothing uploaded, Smol costs $29 once for one Mac. See pricing.