Convert any audio file to CAF format online for free. Fast, secure, and easy-to-use audio to CAF converter with no software installation required.
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Max file size: 50 MBMax duration: 30 min
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Drag and drop your WAV file, or click to browse for it.
Choose CAF as the output and click Convert. The conversion runs on our servers, so your device does none of the work.
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How the two formats differ on the things that change your result.
| Specification | WAV (source) | CAF (result) |
|---|---|---|
| Container | RIFF WAVE | Core Audio Format |
| Developed by | Microsoft / IBM | Apple |
| Introduced | 1991 | 2005 |
| Audio codecs | PCM | PCM, ALAC, AAC, Opus |
| Compression | Uncompressed | Depends on codec |
| Max sample rate | 192 kHz | 192 kHz |
| Max bit depth | 32 bit | 32 bit |
| Max channels | 8 | 8 |
| Gapless playback | Yes | Yes |
| Metadata / tags | RIFF INFO (limited) | CAF metadata chunks |
| Approx. file size | 10–32 MB per minute | 1–32 MB per minute |
| Licensing | Royalty-free | Proprietary |
| Plays natively on | Native: Web browsers, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android · Needs a player: Smart TVs | Native: macOS, iOS · Needs a player: Windows, Web browsers |
| Best for | studio editing, mastering, sample libraries | iOS development, the Apple ecosystem, very long recordings |
Core Audio Format is a container rather than a single codec, so what it holds depends on how the file was made. It can carry PCM, ALAC, AAC, Opus, which means two files with the same extension can differ in quality and size. Check the source before assuming which one you have.
Be aware that you are narrowing playback: WAV plays natively on web browsers, Windows, and Android, where CAF does not. Convert this way when you need the format specifically, not for portability.
The two formats are aimed at different jobs. WAV is typically used for studio editing, mastering, sample libraries, while CAF is the usual pick for iOS development, the Apple ecosystem, very long recordings. That difference in intent is what most of the specification gaps above come from.
Expect metadata to be rewritten rather than copied: RIFF INFO (limited) in the source becomes CAF metadata chunks in the result. Standard fields map cleanly; niche custom tags often do not.
CAF is a proprietary format. It works well inside its own ecosystem but is less portable than the open format you are starting from.
This page converts WAV files, stored in the RIFF WAVE container since 1991, into CAF, which uses Core Audio Format and dates from 2005. The differences between the two containers decide what changes in the result.
WAV comes from Microsoft / IBM and dates to 1991. It holds uncompressed audio (PCM), and that sets the ceiling for anything converted out of it.
CAF comes from Apple and dates to 2005. It carries audio in whichever codec it was encoded with (PCM, ALAC, AAC, or Opus), and without installing anything it plays on macOS and iOS.
After converting your file, you can use Scriptivox transcription services to convert your audio to text. Perfect for meetings, interviews, podcasts, and more.
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