What the heck is an AIFF anyway?
Most newer software supports direct from CD encoding, so AIFF files aren’t generally required for mp3 encoding any more. An AIFF is a digital audio file comparable to a Microsoft WAV file and is currently the standard for digital audio on the MacOS. It can exist with many variables, but for the purpose of this sub-FAQ, we will assume 16 bit Stereo at 44.1khz, also known as “CD quality”. An AIFF is roughly 10mb per minute at these settings. AIFF’s are “ripped” (torn, pulled, recorded, yanked, stolen, transferred) from other sources. This is technically known as Digital Audio Extraction (DAE). Quality mp3 encoders support encoding from AIFF’s.
