How to use the WAV to AAC converter
- Choose your WAV file or drop it on the box.
- Pick an audio quality. 192 kbps is the usual choice; 320 kbps for music you care about.
- Click "Convert to AAC". A progress meter shows how far along it is.
- Download your AAC and listen to it right on the page.
Why convert WAV to AAC?
Some broadcast systems, devices and game engines need raw AAC. WAV to AAC creates a compact AAC stream from your uncompressed audio.
- WAV: large files.
- AAC: better quality than MP3 at the same bitrate.
For a file to play in music apps, M4A is usually the better container.
WAV vs AAC
| WAV | AAC | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Waveform Audio File Format | Advanced Audio Coding |
| Type | Audio | Audio |
| Created by | Microsoft and IBM (1991) | Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) (1997) |
| Compression | Uncompressed | Lossy |
| Codec | PCM | AAC |
| Best for | Recording, editing, sound effects and mastering | Streaming, video soundtracks and some phone recordings |
| Plays on | Every computer and audio editor, most phones and browsers | Most phones, iTunes and VLC; some players skip raw .aac files |
Does converting WAV to AAC lose quality?
WAV is uncompressed and AAC is lossy, so some detail is removed to make the file smaller. At 256 kbps or higher, almost nobody can hear a difference.
How long does it take?
A few seconds for a song, and under a minute for an hour-long recording on most computers.
What is a WAV file?
WAV usually stores raw, uncompressed PCM audio, the same data as an audio CD. Quality is perfect but files are large: about 10 MB per minute of CD-quality stereo.
What is an AAC file?
AAC is the successor to MP3 and the sound inside most MP4 videos, YouTube and Apple Music. A .aac file is a raw AAC stream (ADTS) without the MP4 wrapper, which some apps and players handle less well than M4A.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay or sign up to use the WAV to AAC converter?
No. There is no account, no payment and no watermark. The only limit is 1 GB per file, set by what browsers can handle.
Do you keep a copy of my files?
We never receive them. All processing happens on your device, so there is nothing for us to store or delete.
Will the AAC sound as good as the WAV?
WAV is uncompressed and AAC is lossy, so some detail is removed to make the file smaller. At 256 kbps or higher, almost nobody can hear a difference.
Can I convert AAC back to WAV?
Yes, use the AAC to WAV converter. Keep in mind that detail removed by AAC compression does not come back.
A WAV is too big to email. What should I do?
Convert it to MP3 or use the WAV Compressor.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, in Safari, Chrome and other modern mobile browsers. Short files work best on phones; for long or high-resolution videos a computer is faster.