Free online AIFF to XML converter

What the AIFF format is

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is a container for uncompressed PCM audio developed by Apple and commonly stored with the .aiff or .aif extension. It can contain sample rate, bit depth, channel count, audio frames, and metadata such as artist or copyright information.

Logic Pro, GarageBand, Pro Tools, Audacity, and other recording or editing programs can create AIFF files. You may encounter them when receiving studio recordings, exporting from older Mac audio projects, archiving master audio, or moving recordings between production applications.

What the XML format is

XML is a text-based, hierarchical markup format used to represent structured data. In audio workflows it can describe file metadata, codecs, channels, sample rates, cue points, playlists, editing decisions, and application-specific project settings.

XML is not a standardized replacement for AIFF audio. An XML document normally contains descriptions of audio rather than PCM samples, and different programs require different XML schemas. MusicXML is also a separate notation format: it stores notes, rhythms, and musical symbols, not a recording’s waveform.

How to actually convert AIFF to XML

Export AIFF metadata with FFmpeg

For a standards-independent description of the AIFF file, install FFmpeg and run:

ffprobe -v quiet -print_format xml -show_format -show_streams input.aiff > output.xml

The resulting XML includes stream and container information such as duration, codec, sample rate, channel layout, bit rate, and available tags. Replace input.aiff with the source filename and output.xml with the desired destination.

To include packet-level information, use:

ffprobe -v quiet -print_format xml -show_format -show_streams -show_packets input.aiff > output.xml

Packet output can be very large and describes encoded packets or frames; it does not turn the audio samples into ordinary XML elements.

Use the built-in online converter

You can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. Check the service’s output description before downloading: an XML result may contain metadata only, or may follow a specific application schema rather than a universal audio standard.

Create XML containing the audio data

If a receiving application explicitly requires audio embedded in XML, the samples must be serialized according to that application’s specification, commonly as Base64 text or numeric PCM values. This is not a normal format conversion and usually requires a vendor utility or a custom script; Base64 increases the data size by roughly one third and makes the document inefficient for long recordings.

Convert an AIFF recording to musical notation

AIFF cannot be directly converted to MusicXML with exact results because a recording does not explicitly identify notes, instruments, tempo, or notation. Use audio-to-MIDI transcription software, correct the generated MIDI manually, then open it in notation software and choose File → Export → MusicXML. Polyphonic recordings, drums, effects, and noisy audio commonly produce transcription errors.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

Metadata export does not alter the AIFF and causes no audio-quality loss. The XML’s compatibility depends on its schema: an ffprobe XML document is useful for inspection or custom processing but may not import into a DAW or archive system that expects its own element names.

If the destination needs playable audio, XML alone is usually the wrong target; retain the AIFF or place a separately encoded WAV, FLAC, or other supported audio file beside an XML metadata document. Preserve the original sample rate, bit depth, channel arrangement, and time reference when XML is used to describe an editing or archival asset.