Why do Apple Music files show different extensions for the same tracks?

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Level 1

32 points

Why do Apple Music files show different extensions for the same tracks?

I have Sonoma.

I have almost 300 CDs. I want to archive them in a lossless format. I want to use an audio format that's compatible with both Mac & Windows. My sister & a friend have a Windows computer.

A few days ago, I tried an experiment. I chose a music CD & set up Apple Music (AKA AM) to rip the tracks in WAV. After the tracks were ripped, I noticed that all of the tracks on the home page had an .aiff extension. I went to the Media folder were all of the files are saved. Every one of the tracks had a .wav extension! I don't understand how the same file can have 2 different file extensions. Do you?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Mac mini, macOS 14.7

Posted on May 18, 2025 03:51 PM

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Answer 1

ed2345

Level 9

63,428 points

May 19, 2025 05:37 PM in response to macnerd48

MP3/320 takes about 2.5 MB per minute, so a 10 minute piece bumps your 25 MB limit.

If the 2 Macs are adjacent, you can use AirDrop . Otherwise a USB flash drive is easiest.

The open source compressed format was supposed to be OGG. It never caught on. Stick to MP3 or AAC.

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Answer 2

ed2345

Level 9

63,428 points

May 19, 2025 05:34 AM in response to macnerd48

Macnerd,

Not sure what you are seeing on the "home screen," but a more reliable indicator would be to look at (1) the file extension in Finder, and (2) the "Kind" in your Music library. What do you see there?

By the way, you may want to rethink your whole plan. When the Music app rips to WAV, it creates untagged WAV files that will only show as "Unknown Artist" when you add them to another computer.

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Answer 3

macnerd48 Author

Level 1

32 points

May 19, 2025 08:00 AM in response to macnerd48

Thank you for the quick reply.

I checked the file extension in the Apple Music Library - wav. I checked the file extension in Finder - wav. Right after the CD was ripped, I saw .aiff in Apple Music for all 4 tracks. I know that .aiff & .wav are uncompressed lossless files. Maybe Apple Music changed the file extension.

I read online that .aiff (or is it ALAC?) has more support for metadata than .wav. Do you know why moving a .wav file to another computer, the file shows up as "Unknown artist"? I don't want that to happen. I have a Mac. My sister & a friend has Windows. I want a file that is natively supported on Apple & on Windows.

I like the idea of archiving the music files using a lossless format & then convert the lossless file to a lossy file & carry the files on a flash drive. I read online that uncompressing an audio file may cause distortion. I also (I'm doing a lot of research!) read online that 320kbps MP3 sounds almost as good as lossless. At my age I probably couldn't tell the difference between a 320 kbps MP3 & a WAV file.

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Answer 4

ed2345

Level 9

63,428 points

May 19, 2025 10:45 AM in response to macnerd48

At my age I probably couldn't tell the difference between a 320 kbps MP3 & a WAV file.

Welcome to the club, LOL.

Music (and iTunes) do not handle tags in WAV files. They display the info in the library, but if you copy the file to somewhere else, as you intend to do, the info will not be there.

The other issue with your plan is that WAV is quite a bulky format, taking approx 10 MB per minute off music (at normal settings). So your 300 CDs will take around 150 to 200 GB.

Personally I would do as follows: (1) pick out the CDs that are really of current interest, which is surely not all of the 300, and (2) rip them to MP3/320. But you can decide what is best for your situation.

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Answer 5

macnerd48 Author

Level 1

32 points

May 19, 2025 03:29 PM in response to ed2345

I have 2 Macs - mini & air.

So, if I copy to a flash drive the WAV files that I ripped the other day on my mini & play them on my Air, the tracks will show "Unknown Artist", correct?

Today, I had a thought. I have both Yahoo Mail & Gmail. I found out online that the maximum file size for an attachment on both is 25 MB! I just plugged in a flash drive with ripped tracks that I ripped in 2014. I love classical music. A lot of the tracks are over 25 MB. In 320 kbps MP3!

I guess that I have to re-rip the CDs in a lossy format. I read online that Opus hopes to replace AAC & OGG & MP3. So, further research is necessary. I hope that there's a cross-compatible lossy format that's the least lossy & plays on both Apple & Windows & sounds like CD.

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Why do Apple Music files show different extensions for the same tracks?

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