Convert AAE to AVI

A transferred iPhone folder may contain an .AAE file when a program or device requires an .AVI video. The AAE is only an edit sidecar, so you must obtain the associated photo or video, render any adjustments, and encode that media as AVI.

What the AAE format is

AAE is an Apple Photos sidecar format containing XML instructions for adjustments such as cropping, rotation, exposure, and filters. Apple Photos on iPhone, iPad, and macOS can create an .AAE file beside an edited image, commonly with matching names such as IMG_1234.JPG and IMG_1234.AAE.

The sidecar contains neither image pixels nor video frames. Renaming it to .AVI, opening it in a converter, or copying it without the matching original cannot produce a video. Windows and many non-Apple applications ignore AAE files and show the unedited JPEG.

An Adobe After Effects project uses the .AEP extension, not .AAE. After Effects projects can be rendered to AVI, but that is a separate conversion.

What AVI provides

AVI is a Microsoft multimedia container that can hold video and audio streams encoded with codecs including Motion JPEG, MPEG-4, or uncompressed video. It remains useful for older Windows software, industrial equipment, video-analysis systems, and workflows that specifically require an .AVI file.

AVI does not define one universal codec, so compatibility depends on the application reading the file. Motion JPEG is commonly supported and decodes each frame independently, but it usually creates much larger files than H.264 or H.265 in an MP4 container. AVI is not automatically smaller or more compatible than MP4.

Convert the associated media

If the AAE belongs to a photo:

1. Find the matching original JPEG in the same folder, such as IMG_1234.JPG. Keep the AAE beside the original if Apple Photos still needs the adjustment data.
2. To bake the edits into a new image, open the photo in Apple Photos. On macOS, use File → Export → Export 1 Photo, choose JPEG, and save the rendered result. On iPhone or iPad, open the edited photo in Photos and share or save it; do not copy only the original file and its sidecar.
3. If an AVI is genuinely required, create a video from the exported JPEG with FFmpeg:

ffmpeg -loop 1 -i edited.jpg -t 5 -r 30 -c:v mjpeg -q:v 3 -an output.avi

This creates a five-second, 30-frame-per-second Motion JPEG AVI without audio. Change -t 5 to the required duration. A still image converted this way remains a repeated video frame; it does not become a motion recording. If the receiving program accepts JPEG, use the exported image instead.

If the intended source is an iPhone video: locate the corresponding .MOV file. The AAE is not the video source. Convert the MOV with FFmpeg:

ffmpeg -i input.mov -c:v mjpeg -q:v 3 -c:a pcm_s16le output.avi

This uses Motion JPEG for video and uncompressed PCM audio. For an older application or hardware device that requires a particular codec, check its specifications before encoding; it may require Motion JPEG, MPEG-4, a specific frame rate, a fixed resolution, or no audio.

VLC can convert the actual JPEG or MOV through Media → Convert/Save, but it cannot interpret AAE adjustment data. FFmpeg is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux and gives more control over the AVI codec, frame rate, audio, and quality.

Online conversion options

CloudConvert and Convertio can convert a real JPEG or MOV to AVI, but they cannot use an AAE sidecar as source media. First export the edited photo from Apple Photos or locate the original video, then upload that media and select AVI. Do not upload private photos or videos unless the service’s retention, deletion, and processing policies are acceptable.

Compatibility and quality limits

The matching original is essential: an AAE file cannot reconstruct a missing JPEG or video. Its adjustments may also be interpreted only by Apple Photos; third-party software generally cannot reliably reproduce every Apple edit. Exporting from Photos renders the visible adjustments into a new file.

Converting a JPEG or MOV to AVI can involve lossy re-encoding. Motion JPEG is easy for many older systems to decode because every frame is independent, but its files are often substantially larger than H.264 MP4. Confirm the required codec, dimensions, frame rate, audio format, and maximum file size before conversion.