The National Archives
  • Search our website
  • Search our records
   
 
Image of software box and CD PRONOM
Welcome (PRONOM home page) About PRONOM Add an entry
Search Help - opens in a new window Information resources - opens in a new window
 
 
 

*Details: File format summary

    
 

 

Search by keyword Search by file format Search by PUID Search by software Search by vendor Search by lifecycles Search by Migration Pathway

Details for: Audio Interchange File Format

Save as... XML | CSV Printer friendly version
 
Go to:  Summary |  Documentation  |  Signatures  |  Compression  |  Character encoding  |  Rights  |  Reference files   Properties  
 

Summary
Name Audio Interchange File Format
Version  
Other names  
Identifiers PUID:  fmt/414
Family  
Classification Audio
Disclosure  
Description The Audio Interchange File Format (Audio IFF) provides a standard for storing sampled sounds. The format allows for the storage of monaural or multichannel sampled sounds at a variety of sample rates and sample widths. Audio IFF conforms to the " EA IFF 85" Standard for Interchange Format Files developed by Electronic Arts. Audio IFF is primarily an interchange format, although application designers should find it flexible enough to use as a data storage format as well. If an application does choose to use a different storage format, it should be able to convert to and from the format defined in this document. This will facilitate the sharing of sound data between applications. Audio IFF is the result of several meetings held with music developers over a period of ten months in 1987-88. Differences between AIFF versions are related to implementation within Apple operating systems and are not directly encoded within an AIFF file. As such it is not possible to distinguish between distinct AIFF versions through PRONOM identification.
Orientation  
Byte order  
Related file formats Has priority over Interchange File  
Has priority over MPEG 1/2 Audio Layer 3  
Technical Environment  
Released  
Supported until  
Format Risk  
Developed by None.
Supported by None.
Source The National Archives and Records Administration / The National Archives and Records Administration
Source date 06 Nov 2012
Source description Specification available at http://www.music.mcgill.ca/~ich/classes/synth/AudioIFF1.2.1/AudioIFF1.2.1.html; 11/2023 (v.115)- removed version number and updated description accordingly. Submitted by Preservica.
Last updated 18 Feb 2019
Note  
Top of page Top of page
 
         
The National Archives Newsletter Icon

Send me The National Archives’ newsletter

A monthly round-up of news, blogs, offers and events.

Sign up
About our privacy policy