Compress AIFF Files

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is Apple's uncompressed audio container — essentially the Mac counterpart to WAV, storing the full raw waveform sample by sample with nothing removed. It's the default export from GarageBand, Logic Pro, and QuickTime on macOS, which makes it common for anyone recording, editing, or bouncing audio on a Mac. That fidelity comes at a real cost: CD-quality stereo AIFF runs about 10 MB per minute, so a few minutes of recording can already be tens of megabytes.

Because AIFF is uncompressed, meaningful size reduction means moving to a compressed format rather than tweaking the AIFF itself. MiCompress re-encodes your AIFF into a high-quality MP3, cutting the file down dramatically while keeping the audio clear for everyday listening. The output is an MP3, not another AIFF — if you need to keep working with bit-perfect, uncompressed audio, hold on to the original file and use the compressed export only when you need something smaller to share or store.

The usual workflow splits these two needs apart: keep the original AIFF as your session master for further editing or mixing, and use the compressed output whenever you just need to send a track, back up a rough mix, or listen on the go. That way you never lose access to the full-fidelity recording, and you never have to explain why a raw export won't attach to an email.

Because AIFF is uncompressed to begin with, converting to a compressed format typically shrinks the file by 80-90% or more, with no perceptible quality loss for voice and a difference that's effectively inaudible for music at normal listening levels. The bigger and longer the original AIFF recording, the more dramatic the reduction.