WAV VS AIFF
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Waveform Audio File Format and Audio Interchange File Format.
WAV
wavUncompressed audio format, studio quality.
Pros
- Lossless uncompressed quality
- Easy to edit
Cons
- Very large file sizes (10MB/min)
- No metadata standard
AIFF
aiffUncompressed PCM audio container favored by studios and broadcasters.
Pros
- Studio-grade quality
- Sample-accurate editing
- Stores loop & tempo metadata
Cons
- Huge file sizes
- Not optimal for streaming
- Limited tagging compared to FLAC
When WAV wins
Stay with WAV when you need audio recording or mastering. Its strengths center on lossless uncompressed quality and a feature set native to Microsoft & IBM.
When AIFF wins
Choose AIFF when your workflow prioritizes recording studios or broadcast deliverables. It delivers studio-grade quality plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | WAV | AIFF |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | audio/wav | audio/aiff |
| Developer | Microsoft & IBM | Apple |
| Release Year | 1991 | 1988 |
| Best For | Audio recording, Mastering, Sound design | Recording studios, Broadcast deliverables, Sample libraries |
Need to switch?
Where WAV still wins
Keep WAV when you need lossless uncompressed quality and workflows depend on audio recording / mastering. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship AIFF deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .wav glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use AIFF for recording studios while archiving originals as WAV.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.