diff -r 454b97887c5a Lib/aifc.py
--- a/Lib/aifc.py   Fri Dec 02 19:49:02 2011 +0200
+++ b/Lib/aifc.py   Fri Dec 30 14:29:36 2011 +0400
@@ -274,7 +274,8 @@
     # _ssnd_seek_needed -- 1 iff positioned correctly in audio
     #       file for readframes()
     # _ssnd_chunk -- instantiation of a chunk class for the SSND chunk
-    # _framesize -- size of one frame in the file
+    # _framesize -- size in bits of one frame in the file: G722 uses
+    #       4 bits per sample, which can result in single frame size < 1 byte
 
     def initfp(self, file):
         self._version = 0
@@ -384,13 +385,13 @@
         if self._ssnd_seek_needed:
             self._ssnd_chunk.seek(0)
             dummy = self._ssnd_chunk.read(8)
-            pos = self._soundpos * self._framesize
+            pos = (self._soundpos * self._framesize) // 8
             if pos:
                 self._ssnd_chunk.seek(pos + 8)
             self._ssnd_seek_needed = 0
         if nframes == 0:
             return b''
-        data = self._ssnd_chunk.read(nframes * self._framesize)
+        data = self._ssnd_chunk.read((nframes * self._framesize) // 8)
         if self._convert and data:
             data = self._convert(data)
         self._soundpos = self._soundpos + len(data) // (self._nchannels
@@ -422,7 +423,7 @@
         self._nframes = _read_long(chunk)
         self._sampwidth = (_read_short(chunk) + 7) // 8
         self._framerate = int(_read_float(chunk))
-        self._framesize = self._nchannels * self._sampwidth
+        self._framesize = self._nchannels * self._sampwidth * 8
         if self._aifc:
             #DEBUG: SGI's soundeditor produces a bad size :-(
             kludge = 0
diff -r 454b97887c5a Lib/test/test_aifc.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_aifc.py Fri Dec 02 19:49:02 2011 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_aifc.py Fri Dec 30 14:29:36 2011 +0400
@@ -109,6 +109,23 @@
         f.close()
         self.assertEqual(testfile.closed, True)
 
+    def test_read_compressed_frames(self):
+        def check_frames(comptype, nframes, sampwidth):
+            fout = self.fout = aifc.open(TESTFN, 'wb')
+            fout.aifc()
+            fout.setparams((1, sampwidth, 1, nframes, comptype, b''))
+            frames = b'\x00' * nframes * fout.getnchannels() * sampwidth
+            fout.writeframes(frames)
+            fout.close()
+            f = self.f = aifc.open(TESTFN, 'rb')
+            self.assertEqual(len(f.readframes(nframes)), len(frames))
+            f.close()
+        for comptype in (b'ULAW', b'ulaw', b'ALAW', b'alaw'):
+            for nframes in (1, 2):
+                check_frames(comptype, nframes, 2)
+        for nframes in (2, 4):
+            check_frames(b'G722', nframes, 2)
+
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(AIFCTest)