Trim AIFC — Free Online Tool
Trim an AIFC audio file to an exact segment by specifying start and end timestamps, preserving the original PCM or compressed audio stream without re-encoding. Because AIFC files use lossless big-endian PCM codecs (such as pcm_s16be, pcm_s24be, or pcm_s32be), stream copying during trimming ensures zero quality loss and near-instant processing.
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FFmpeg Command
Copy this command to run the same conversion locally with FFmpeg on your desktop. Download FFmpeg
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Note: Browser-based encoding uses approximate quality targets. For precise CRF compression, copy the FFmpeg command above and run it on your desktop.
Estimated output:
Conversion Complete!
DownloadHow It Works
When you trim an AIFC file, FFmpeg seeks to the specified start time using the -ss flag and copies the audio stream up to the -to endpoint using -c copy, which means no decoding or re-encoding takes place. The raw audio frames — whether stored as 16-bit, 24-bit, or 32-bit big-endian PCM, or as compressed A-law/mu-law data — are extracted and written into a new AIFC container exactly as-is. Because AIFC is a sample-accurate format with a well-defined chunk structure, the output file retains the original sample rate, bit depth, and encoding of the source, with only the duration changed. The AIFF/AIFC container header is rewritten to reflect the new file length and sample count.
What Each Flag Does
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
ffmpeg
|
Invokes the FFmpeg binary. In the browser-based tool, this runs via FFmpeg.wasm compiled to WebAssembly, executing entirely within your browser with no server upload. On your desktop, this calls your locally installed FFmpeg. |
-i input.aifc
|
Specifies the input AIFC file. FFmpeg reads the AIFC container, identifies the audio codec (e.g., pcm_s24be or pcm_mulaw), and prepares to seek and extract from the stream. |
-ss 00:00:00
|
Sets the start time of the trimmed segment. Placed after -i, this performs an output-side seek, which is more accurate for AIFC's frame-based PCM structure than an input-side seek. Change this timestamp to trim from any point in the file. |
-to 00:00:10
|
Sets the end time of the trimmed segment as an absolute timestamp from the beginning of the input file. In this default example, only the first 10 seconds of the AIFC audio are retained. Replace with your desired endpoint in HH:MM:SS or HH:MM:SS.mmm format. |
-c copy
|
Instructs FFmpeg to copy all streams without decoding or re-encoding. For AIFC audio — whether lossless big-endian PCM or compressed A-law/mu-law — this preserves every sample bit-for-bit and makes the trim nearly instantaneous regardless of file size. |
output.aifc
|
Specifies the output filename and container format. The .aifc extension tells FFmpeg to write an AIFF-C container, and because -c copy is used, the output codec, bit depth, sample rate, and channel layout are inherited directly from the input AIFC file. |
Common Use Cases
- Extract a specific musical phrase or instrument take from a long AIFC session recording for use in a sample library or DAW project
- Trim the silence or count-in bars from the beginning of a 24-bit or 32-bit big-endian broadcast audio capture before sending it to mastering
- Isolate a single cue or stinger from a full AIFC music stem delivered by a composer for use in video post-production
- Cut down a lengthy AIFC archival recording to the relevant passage before importing it into Pro Tools or Logic Pro for editing
- Remove the trailing room noise or bleed at the end of a pcm_s24be AIFC field recording captured on professional location audio gear
- Split a long AIFC audiobook or spoken-word recording into chapter-length segments without transcoding and without any generation loss
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The -c copy flag tells FFmpeg to bypass the decode and encode pipeline entirely, copying the raw audio data frames directly into the output container. For lossless AIFC codecs like pcm_s16be, pcm_s24be, or pcm_s32be, this means every sample in the trimmed segment is bit-for-bit identical to the original. Even for compressed AIFC variants using pcm_alaw or pcm_mulaw, no additional lossy generation occurs.
For PCM-based AIFC files, trimming with -c copy is extremely precise because PCM audio has no inter-frame dependencies — any sample can be a valid cut point. The -ss and -to timestamps are interpreted at the audio frame boundary closest to your specified time. For very tight edits (sub-millisecond precision), you can express timestamps in FFmpeg's HH:MM:SS.mmm format, e.g., 00:01:23.456, to get close to sample-level accuracy.
Yes. Because the command uses -c copy, the output AIFC file inherits the exact codec, bit depth, channel count, and sample rate from the source. A 32-bit float (pcm_f32be) stereo file at 96 kHz will produce a trimmed output that is also 32-bit float stereo at 96 kHz. FFmpeg only rewrites the AIFC container header to update the sample frame count and file size to match the new duration.
Replace the values after -ss and -to with your desired timestamps in HH:MM:SS or HH:MM:SS.mmm format. For example, to trim from 30 seconds to 2 minutes 15 seconds, use: ffmpeg -i input.aifc -ss 00:00:30 -to 00:02:15 -c copy output.aifc. You can also use -t instead of -to if you prefer to specify a duration rather than an end timestamp — for example, -t 45 would extract 45 seconds starting from the -ss point.
Yes. On the command line you can use a shell loop to process multiple files. In bash: for f in *.aifc; do ffmpeg -i "$f" -ss 00:00:00 -to 00:00:10 -c copy "trimmed_$f"; done. This applies the same start and end timestamps to every AIFC file in the current directory and prefixes each output filename with 'trimmed_'. The browser-based tool processes one file at a time, so the FFmpeg command is particularly valuable for batch workflows on files over 1GB.
With stream copy trimming, FFmpeg aligns cuts to the nearest audio frame boundary rather than inserting silence or splitting a frame. For standard AIFC PCM audio this boundary is typically a single sample or a very small block, so the discrepancy is usually sub-millisecond and inaudible. If you need absolute sample-exact boundaries for broadcast or post-production delivery, you can remove -c copy and let FFmpeg decode and re-encode the audio, though this adds processing time and, for lossy codecs like A-law or mu-law, introduces one generation of compression.
Technical Notes
AIFC (Audio Interchange File Format Compressed) is a big-endian container format originating from Apple and defined by the EA IFF 85 and AIFF-C specification. It supports both uncompressed PCM codecs (pcm_s16be, pcm_s24be, pcm_s32be, pcm_f32be, pcm_f64be) and compressed telephony codecs (pcm_alaw, pcm_mulaw). All multi-byte integer and float values in AIFC are stored in big-endian byte order, which is why FFmpeg uses the 'be' suffix on these codec names. When trimming with -c copy, FFmpeg rewrites the COMM chunk (which stores sample rate, bit depth, and frame count) and the SSND chunk offset to reflect the new segment, while preserving any MARK (marker) or INST (instrument loop) chunks if they fall within the retained region — though markers outside the trimmed window are typically discarded. AIFC files do not support embedded video, subtitles, chapters, or multiple audio tracks. The format is natively compatible with Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and most professional DAWs on macOS and Windows. File sizes for trimmed PCM AIFC files scale linearly with duration: a stereo 24-bit 48 kHz AIFC file consumes approximately 17 MB per minute, so a 10-second trim of a 1-hour source produces a file roughly 167× smaller with no quality penalty.