media → media
Convert WAV to AAC
Convert WAV to AAC in seconds. Free, no signup, no watermark, no file-size limit. Runs on our conversion servers.
At a glance
- Source
- WAV
- Target
- AAC
- Where it runs
- Our servers
- Cost
- Free, unlimited
- Account
- Not needed
WAV to AAC is on the release list
The audio is decoded, and optionally resampled or re-encoded, into the target container and codec. That needs a full document rendering engine, so it will run on our servers rather than in your browser. It is next in the queue and it will be free.
Do it now, on your device
No WAV conversion runs on-device yet — but these do
We would rather point you at something that works than at a queue. These conversions run entirely inside your browser right now — no upload, no account, no watermark.
The details
What happens when you convert between audio formats
Uncompressed audio. The raw recording, exactly as it was captured. The audio is decoded, and optionally resampled or re-encoded, into the target container and codec. The result is a advanced audio coding. what itunes, youtube and most streaming use, produced on our conversion servers.
What survives
- The duration and the timing
- The audio itself, to the quality the target codec allows
What changes
- The quality, because every codec that is not PCM is lossy
- The metadata, which is usually rebuilt rather than copied
Where it goes wrong
- Converting to a lossy format more than once is the fastest way to make audio sound bad
- The sample rate is often left as it was, so a 44.1 kHz file stays 44.1 kHz even if the target prefers 48 kHz
Why anyone would do this
The same recording, in a container the device in your hand will actually play.
About the format
Uncompressed audio.
A RIFF container with a fmt chunk describing the sample rate and bit depth, and a data chunk holding the samples themselves.
- Where it is good
- No loss at all — the samples are exactly what was recorded
- Every editor and every system understands it
- Perfect for editing before a final lossy encode
- Where it falls short
- Enormous — a three-minute recording is about 30 MB
- No metadata beyond the basics
- No compression, so it is impractical to send
- You will find it on
- Recording studios, audio editors, game sound pipelines
The thing people miss
A one-minute stereo recording at 44.1 kHz is about 10 MB as WAV and about 1 MB as MP3 at a good bitrate.
About the target
Advanced Audio Coding.
A series of MPEG-4 audio frames, each carrying a window of transformed, quantised spectral data.
- Better quality than MP3 at the same bitrate
- The native format of iPhones, iPads and the Apple ecosystem
- Works with the same .m4a container as video
Real jobs
What people are actually doing with WAV
Editing a recording before exporting it
Archiving a master that must never lose quality
Feeding a system that refuses compressed audio
Specification
The details, in one table
| Source format | WAV — WAV audio |
|---|---|
| Target format | AAC — AAC audio |
| Typical source size | 10 MB per minute |
| Runs | On our servers |
| Account needed | No |
| Watermark | None |
| File extension | .wav → .aac .m4a |
How to
WAV to AAC, step by step
- 01
Add your wav audio
Drag the file onto the drop zone, or tap to browse. Only one file is needed.
- 02
Choose the AAC settings
Set the AAC-specific options.
- 03
Download the result
The finished AAC downloads to your device. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is retained.
Also available
WAV converts into
Queued for the servers
Questions
WAV conversion questions
What actually happens to my WAV file when I convert it to AAC?
The audio is decoded, and optionally resampled or re-encoded, into the target container and codec. So the WAV file is unpacked, the content is laid out, and the result is written out as AAC. The duration and the timing survives unchanged.
Will converting WAV to AAC reduce the quality?
Partly. The quality, because every codec that is not PCM is lossy The text itself is never re-typed, so no words are lost.
Is my WAV file uploaded to a server?
This particular conversion needs a full document rendering engine, so it is processed on our servers. Your WAV file is deleted automatically within an hour of the download being ready, and it is never opened or reviewed by a person.
Do I need an account or will there be a watermark?
Neither. There is no sign-up step, no email capture and no watermark on the output. The only limits are the ones your own device imposes.
What is the most common mistake people make when converting WAV to AAC?
Converting to a lossy format more than once is the fastest way to make audio sound bad
Why would somebody convert WAV to AAC at all?
The same recording, in a container the device in your hand will actually play. In short: editing a recording before exporting it
Something most people do not know about WAV?
A one-minute stereo recording at 44.1 kHz is about 10 MB as WAV and about 1 MB as MP3 at a good bitrate.