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AIFF to AC3 converter

Convert AIFF to AC3 in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I want AC3

Settings appear once you add an audio file.

Advanced 4
sec

Leave both at 0 for the whole file.

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Channels

Done on your device No upload, no queue, no sign-up.

Bytes sent anywhere: 0 B

Works offline after you’ve used it once.

Related conversions

Need it the other way round? Convert AC3 to AIFF

Other ways to convert AIFF

Convert other formats to AC3

Read more about the AIFF format and the AC3 format, or see every audio tool and all audio conversions.

Should you convert AIFF to AC3?

A good trade for listening and sharing: AC3 is a fraction of the size of AIFF, and at 192 kbps or more the difference is inaudible for most people. Keep the AIFF as your master if you’ll edit or convert again.

AIFF is uncompressed audio, Apple’s equivalent of WAV; AC3 is Dolby Digital surround sound from DVDs and TV. Use AC3 for soundtracks going to DVD authoring or a home cinema system.

AIFF and AC3 compared
Property AIFF AC3
Compression Uncompressed Lossy
Typical quality 16-bit PCM 192–640 kbps, up to 5.1
Support Opens almost everywhere Has patchy support
Best for Audio production on Macs, and importing into Logic or GarageBand 5.1 surround soundtracks for DVDs and TVs
Introduced 1988 1991

How to convert AIFF to AC3

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  1. Add your AIFF

    Drop your AIFF file onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.

  2. Check the settings

    The output is already set to AC3. Change the bitrate if you want to; the defaults suit most files.

  3. Save the AC3

    Press convert and save the AC3. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when AIFF becomes AC3

From lossless to lossy

AIFF holds every sample; AC3 keeps what the ear notices and discards the rest. Pick the bitrate by use: 128 kbps for speech, 192 to 256 kbps for music.

Surround channels

AC3 keeps up to 5.1 channels, so surround sources stay surround. Stereo sources are written as stereo.

A one-time engine download

AIFF is decoded by FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, a 31 MB download the first time. After that it is cached, and the conversion never leaves your device.

Expect a much smaller file

AIFF: About 10 MB a minute at CD quality. AC3: About 3.4 MB a minute at 448 kbps. Shrinking the file is often the main reason to make this conversion.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of AIFF and AC3, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Recordings are often private: interviews, voice notes, unreleased music. Your browser can decode and encode audio itself, so there is no reason to send it anywhere.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

  • About the AIFF. AIFF stores samples in the opposite byte order to WAV; tools that assume WAV turn it into loud static.
  • About the AC3. Converting a 5.1 AC3 to a stereo format mixes it down; dialogue that lived in the center channel can end up quieter.
  • MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, Opus and FLAC are converted by your browser directly. WMA, AMR, APE, AC3 and the other specialist formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download.

Questions

Does converting AIFF to AC3 lose quality?

AC3 is lossy, so a little is discarded, but at the default bitrate the difference is inaudible for nearly everyone.

Will an AC3 play in my car or on my phone?

AC3 has patchy support: home cinema receivers, TVs, VLC and video editors; phones and browsers often can’t.

Next steps

Often used before or after AIFF to AC3 converter. These run on your device too.