Key Difference: WAV and AIFF are basically the same file type. WAV is an abbreviation of Waveform Audio  File Format. On the other hand, AIFF is an abbreviation of Audio Interchange File Format.

WAV and AIFF are essentially the same file type. They are uncompressed formats, which means they are the exact copies of the original source audio.

WAV stands for the Waveform Audio File Format. WAV is an uncompressed file that broadcasts a good quality of music CD files. Uncompressed means they are exact copies of the original source audio. It has the same quality, but is stored a bit differently.

WAV audio file format are much more universal. Since they are uncompressed, they take up a lot of needless space. If one needs to edit the file again, then he should not save the file in this format. WAV files can be more easily manipulated and edited; it is more preferable for professionals or businessmen for a higher quality. It is not a popular file format for transferring files over the internet, but then due its simplicity and quality it is also well-liked.

 AIFF stands for Audio Interchange File Format; it is also an audio file format. In 1988, the format was developed by Apple Computer. The leading file format is a standard AIFF along with SDII and WAV, and is mostly used by businessmen or professionals. It is also an uncompressed file, and is lossless. It uses more disk than any uncompressed file like MP3.

However, AIFF is developed by Apple so it works best for Apple Macintosh systems. Same like WAV, AIFF files also offer a lot of flexibility in editing, copying, changing file formats, and other productions activities. But yes, if one needs to edit the audio, then he should not store the file in these formats, otherwise he will not be able to edit it.

The key differences between both the terms are as follows:

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