When you'd do this
You've got a raw .aac file — from a screen or call recorder, a radio stream, a camera or an app's export — and the player you want to use doesn't open it.
What to expect
A 4-minute AAC at 128 kbps is about 3.7 MB; as an MP3 at 192 kbps it's about 5.5 MB. MP3 needs a little more bitrate than AAC for the same sound, so the MP3 is bigger.
Recommended settings
Go a step above the AAC's bitrate: 192 kbps (the default) for a 128 kbps AAC, 256 kbps for anything higher.
Where it plays
Anywhere — unlike raw AAC, which many players and editors handle badly.
Good to know
- The sound is encoded a second time, which costs a little quality.
- If your player takes M4A, AAC to M4A is better: the sound is copied as is, with no loss at all.
- An MP3 made here can be up to 60 minutes long.
How to do it
- Choose your AAC files, or drop them on the page — as many as you like.
- Each is set to MP3. Change one on its own row if you like, and the MP3 bitrate and the channels in Settings.
- Convert all, then download each MP3, or all of them in one .zip.
Questions
- What's the difference between AAC and M4A?
- The sound is the same AAC; an M4A wraps it in an MP4 container that players understand better, while a .aac file is the bare stream.
- Does AAC to MP3 lose quality?
- A little, since it's encoded again. Use 192 kbps or more and it's hard to hear.
- Is it free?
- Yes, and nothing is uploaded: the conversion runs in your browser.