Buying tracks in AIFF format - your thoughts?

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-- Buying tracks in AIFF format - your thoughts?

Posted by Unique2701 on Oct-30-2011 16:24:

Buying tracks in AIFF format - your thoughts?

I recently read this news that Beatport has started offering tracks in the AIFF format. I never heard about this format before, but from what I read, it sounds quite interesting.

quote:
What is AIFF? AIFF stands for Audio Interchange File Format. Basically, an AIFF file has all the convenience of an MP3, containing metadata and cover art, with the audio quality of an uncompressed �lossless� format like WAV.

In fact, AIFF is the same uncompressed, lossless, PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) format as a WAV, but includes support for data �chunks� such as ID3 metadata and cover art. There are several data chunks supported by AIFF and Beatport is providing all available metadata as ID3v2.4 tags which can be read by most popular software applications.

On Beatport, you pay as much for a wav file as for a aiff file, but if the file size is significantly smaller without compromising on sound quality, it seems to have an advantage over wav.

Your thoughts?

Posted by orTof�nChiLd on Oct-31-2011 08:33:

aiff is mac format

Posted by Psynon on Oct-31-2011 09:32:

I think AIFF is only good for samples if you're a producer. Not for DJing.

Use hardcopy goddamnit!

Posted by orTof�nChiLd on Oct-31-2011 16:40:

quote:
Originally posted by Psynon
I think AIFF is only good for samples if you're a producer. Not for DJing.

Use hardcopy goddamnit!

how you know that

Posted by Psynon on Oct-31-2011 20:54:

quote:
Originally posted by orTof�nChiLd
how you know that

I didn't say I know anything. I said I think/suppose.

Posted by Unique2701 on Nov-02-2011 22:12:

quote:
Originally posted by Psynon
I think AIFF is only good for samples if you're a producer. Not for DJing.

Use hardcopy goddamnit!

Yes I still like my music hardcopy but like it or not, digital is just the most practical way. And not everything is being released hardcopy anymore nowadays unfortunately..

Posted by Unique2701 on Nov-02-2011 22:14:

quote:
Originally posted by orTof�nChiLd
aiff is mac format

heh, totally forgot to check what hardware supports these files.. yea guess i don't have to think about aiff files now

Posted by Brandt Slater on Nov-04-2011 01:24:

Stick with MP3, it will work fine. It's the most standard file across all formats with the exception WAV.

Posted by lounger540 on Nov-09-2011 05:17:

quote:
Originally posted by orTof�nChiLd
aiff is mac format

It was created by Apple as an improvement to WAV for Quicktime, but it's not exclusive to Mac. I would suspect pretty much all software that supports WAV would also support AIFF regardless of OS.

Posted by Rodri Santos on Nov-09-2011 14:32:

the other day a friend who has a mac gave me some tracks and i couldn't open all of them i think you need a codec for windows media but i think there's no problem

Posted by orTof�nChiLd on Nov-09-2011 18:45:

quote:
Originally posted by lounger540
It was created by Apple as an improvement to WAV for Quicktime, but it's not exclusive to Mac. I would suspect pretty much all software that supports WAV would also support AIFF regardless of OS.

are you trying to shut me down?

Posted by Looney4Clooney on Nov-09-2011 18:56:

aiff can include loop point data , musical note and other meta data wav doesn't. Otherwise, a standard PCM uncompressed audio format similar to wav.

Posted by lounger540 on Nov-09-2011 20:00:

quote:
Originally posted by orTof�nChiLd
are you trying to shut me down?

I'm not even sure what that means, to shut one down. I was simply clarifying the point that AIFF can be played on more systems than a Mac; it's not exclusively bound.

Posted by orTof�nChiLd on Nov-09-2011 22:51:

quote:
Originally posted by lounger540
I'm not even sure what that means, to shut one down. I was simply clarifying the point that AIFF can be played on more systems than a Mac; it's not exclusively bound.

thought so