Free online AIFC to AU converter

Source format: AIFC

AIFC stands for Audio Interchange File Format Compressed. It is a variant of the classic AIFF audio container, designed to store compressed or uncompressed audio in a structured, cross-platform format. AIFC is commonly associated with Apple systems and professional audio workflows, and it may contain PCM audio or compressed codecs depending on how the file was created. Typical uses include music production, sound archives, and audio exchange between editing tools.

Target format: AU

AU is a simple audio file format originally developed for Sun Microsystems and widely used in Unix and early internet audio environments. It is a lightweight container that often stores PCM audio, though some variants support other encodings. AU is valued for its broad compatibility with legacy Unix tools and straightforward structure. It is commonly used for older software, embedded systems, and basic audio interchange where simplicity matters more than advanced metadata.

How to perform the conversion

The most reliable way to convert AIFC to AU is with a desktop audio tool such as FFmpeg or SoX. These tools preserve audio data accurately and let you control the output encoding if needed.

Using FFmpeg

1. Install FFmpeg if it is not already available on your system.
2. Open a terminal or command prompt.
3. Run a command such as ffmpeg -i input.aifc output.au.
4. If you need a specific sample format or codec, add encoding options appropriate for AU-compatible audio.

Using SoX

1. Install SoX with AU support.
2. Open a terminal or command prompt.
3. Run sox input.aifc output.au.
4. If the source uses a compressed AIFC codec, SoX or FFmpeg will decode it first and then write AU output.

Using a desktop audio editor

1. Open the AIFC file in an editor that supports both formats, such as Audacity or another audio application with export options.
2. Choose File → Export or File → Save As.
3. Select AU as the output format if available.
4. Save the converted file.

You can also convert the file on 101convert.com for free, without installing any software.

Notes on quality, compatibility, or limitations

The main limitation is that AU is less feature-rich than AIFC. AU usually carries less metadata and fewer codec options, so some AIFC files may need to be decoded to PCM before they can be written as AU. If the original AIFC file uses a compressed codec that your converter cannot decode, the conversion may fail or produce audio with altered quality. Also, AU support varies by application: modern editors may open it, but some tools only handle basic PCM-based AU files.

For best results, use a converter that can read the specific AIFC codec in your source file and export standard PCM AU output.