Sustainability of Digital Formats: Planning for Library of Congress Collections

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AIFF File Format with LPCM Audio

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Format Description Properties Explanation of format description terms

Identification and description Explanation of format description terms

Full name Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) with LPCM Audio
Description AIFF wrapper containing an LPCM sound bitstream.
Production phase Used primarily as a initial- or middle-state format, including use as a master file for audio captured live digitally or reformatted from analog sources.
Relationship to other formats
    Subtype of AIFF, Audio Interchange File Format
    Contains LPCM, Linear Pulse Coded Modulated Audio (LPCM)

Local use Explanation of format description terms

LC experience or existing holdings None
LC preference General preference for recorded sound is WAVE_LCPM.

Sustainability factors Explanation of format description terms

Disclosure Fully documented; see AIFF and LPCM.
    Documentation See AIFF and LPCM.
Adoption Widely adopted among Apple users engaged in professional audio work; some adoption beyond, although most Windows users select WAVE_LPCM, which is functionally equivalent. AIFF_LPCM is used as the master format by the Harvard University Library Digital Initiative audio reformatting activity.
    Licensing and patents See AIFF and LPCM.
Transparency See AIFF and LPCM.
Self-documentation See AIFF.
External dependencies None
Technical protection considerations None known to the compilers of this document.

Quality and functionality factors Explanation of format description terms

Sound
Normal rendering Good support.
Fidelity (high audio resolution) Excellent to good, depending upon encoding parameters selected.
Multiple channels [Possible use of two-channel encoding with multiplexed data to provide support for additional channels. ?]
Support for user-defined sounds, samples, and patches None
Functionality beyond normal rendering None

File type signifiers and format identifiers Explanation of format description terms

Tag Value Note
Filename extension aif
 
Internet Media Type audio/aiff
audio/x-aiff
sound/aiff
audio/x-pn-aiff
Selected from The File Extension Source. Internet Media Type for AIFF not found at https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/.
Magic numbers Hex: 46 4F 52 4D 00
ASCII: FORM
From The File Extension Source.
Uniform Type Identifier (Mac OS) AIFF
 

Notes Explanation of format description terms

General  
History  

Format specifications Explanation of format description terms


Useful references

URLs


Last Updated: 08/10/2021