Which PCM file format was developed by Apple Inc.?

The AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is the PCM file format that was developed by Apple Inc. Introduced in 1988, AIFF is designed for storing high-quality audio data and is widely used in professional audio applications. It supports various bit depths and sample rates, making it suitable for everything from simple sound recordings to complex projects in digital audio workstations.

AIFF files store uncompressed audio and are compatible with many audio editing and playback software across different platforms, although they are particularly optimized for use within Apple’s ecosystem. This format allows for high fidelity due to its ability to maintain audio quality without the compression artifacts that can occur in lossy formats.

While other file formats like WAV and CAF are also employed in audio production, they either originated from other companies or serve different functions within the audio landscape. WAV is a Microsoft format that operates similarly to AIFF, and CAF (Core Audio Format) is another Apple-developed format, but it's more focused on storing audio data that can exceed the limitations of the traditional file size restrictions. M4A, on the other hand, is a compressed audio format commonly used for music files, offering more efficient storage with some quality trade-off.

Thus, AIFF stands out as the prominent