(Advanced Audio Coding) An audio compression technology that is part of the MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 standards. AAC, especially MPEG-4 AAC, provides greater compression and better sound quality than MP3, which also came out of the MPEG standard.
Popularized by the iPod
AAC is the default format for Apple's iPod. It was chosen because it added sound quality and also supported digital rights management (DRM), which is administered through Apple's iTunes jukebox software. AAC songs purchased from Apple's music store are copy protected (see formats below). With iTunes, users can also choose to rip their CDs to AAC instead of MP3.
Profiles
AAC is available in profiles, which determine how the algorithms work to encode the audio data. Main offers the highest quality. Low Complexity (LC) is lower quality, but uses less CPU processing. Scalable Sampling Rate (SSR) is a variation of LC. Long Term Prediction was added in MPEG-4 to improve the Main profile. See aacPlus, Apple Lossless, MP3 and iPod. Following are the file extensions used for AAC:
Popularized by the iPod
AAC is the default format for Apple's iPod. It was chosen because it added sound quality and also supported digital rights management (DRM), which is administered through Apple's iTunes jukebox software. AAC songs purchased from Apple's music store are copy protected (see formats below). With iTunes, users can also choose to rip their CDs to AAC instead of MP3.
Profiles
AAC is available in profiles, which determine how the algorithms work to encode the audio data. Main offers the highest quality. Low Complexity (LC) is lower quality, but uses less CPU processing. Scalable Sampling Rate (SSR) is a variation of LC. Long Term Prediction was added in MPEG-4 to improve the Main profile. See aacPlus, Apple Lossless, MP3 and iPod. Following are the file extensions used for AAC:
AAC File
Extension Type of AAC File
MP4 Standard MPEG-4 video & audio
M4A Unprotected AAC
M4A Apple Lossless
M4P Protected AAC
M4B Protected AAC audiobook
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Xilisoft Audio Maker 3.0.49.1030 (Windows)
- Xilisoft Audio Maker includes the functions of Audio Converter, CD Ripper, and CD Burner - a multifunctional audio tool. Functions include: as an Audio Converter, it can convert between all popular audio formats, such as MP3, M4A, WAV, WMA, OGG, AAC, AC3, and convert video files to your favorite audio...
- Software downloads 2009-11-06
- Spesoft Audio Converter 2.10 (Windows)
- Spesoft Free Audio Converter is fast, stable, easy yet powerful software that allows you to convert between a large collection of audio file formats. You can convert from MP1, MP2, MP3, OGG, WMA, M4A/MP4/AAC/ALAC, FLAC, WAV, APE, WAVPACK, MUSEPACK, AIF/AIFF, MIDI/RMI, MO3/IT/XM/S3M,/MTM/MOD/UMX, AC3, ADX, OPTIMFROG, SPEEX, TTA, CDA/Audio CD and...
- Software downloads 2009-11-06
- FLV Crunch 1.3 (Mac)
- This program can convert flv, MPEG, MPEG 2, MPEG 4, Quicktime MOV, 3GP, RealPlayer files, Windows Media Player files, and AVI files into a format that your computer / phone / dvd player / pda / iPod can play. Your file can be converted into a MPEG 1, MPEG 2,...
- Software downloads 2009-11-05
- Wondershare Streaming Audio Recorder 1.0.9.2 (Windows)
- Wondershare Streaming Audio Recorder features out as a powerful streaming audio detector and recorder which can sense any tiny audio signal pass by the sound card and record it with high fidelity for your reserve, such as on-play music, video clips, movie, webcasts, softphone, message audio. Besides, it also provides...
- Software downloads 2009-11-05
- RMN Radio 1.0.2 (Mobile)
- RMN Radio is a popular German Web radio, covering 6 channels to choose from: RMNradio, Schlagerhalle, RMNrelax for chill-out music, Powerstream, RMNsoulstar and Kuschel.fm for the romantic moments. Features: 6 high-quality Web radio channels; easy-to use navigation; 48kbit/s AAC+ stream.
- Software downloads 2009-11-05
- CrystalWolf Player 0.19 (Windows)
- CrystalWolf Audio Player is a completely free audio player that supports MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, APE, MP4 audio, M4a, M4b, AAC, OGG Vorbis, ALAC, MP1, MP2, MOD, MO3, MPC, WV files 'out of box'. No additional plug-ins are necessary, just drop your music into it and enjoy. You can drag...
- Software downloads 2009-11-05
- Bigasoft Zune Video Converter 1.7.0.3570 (Windows)
- Bigasoft Zune Video Converter is an easy to use Zune movie converter for Microsoft Zune and Zune HD, which helps you transcode your movie collection including AVI, DivX, Xvid, MPEG, RM, MOV, 3GP, MKV, ASF, VOB, FLV, MOD to Zune WMV, MPEG-4 (MP4), H.264 video files, therefore you can enjoy...
- Software downloads 2009-11-05
- Media Player Codec Pack 3.9 (Windows)
- The Media Player Codec Pack is a simple to install package of codecs/filters/splitters used for playing back music and movie files. After installation you will be able to play 99.9% of files through your media player, along with XCD's, VCD's, SVCD's and DVD's. Also included in the package are a...
- Software downloads 2009-11-05
- Number Lottery Director 2.2.5 (Windows)
- Number Lottery Director is a flexible lottery application for many situation. With Number Lottery Director you can create and manage unlimited lottery, a lottery contains up to 99 scenes with certain sequence. Every scene has its own title, subtitle, picture, music, source number and so on. You can create lottery...
- Software downloads 2009-11-05
- Wondershare Music Converter 1.2 (Windows)
- Wondershare DRM Music Converter, which focuses on DRM protected music, can remove DRM from protected music as WMA, WAV, M4A, M4B, etc; furthermore, it also performs as a powerful DRM music converter which can convert DRM music into unprotected WMA, WAV, M4A, MKA, AAC, AC3, OGG, APE, and can also...
- Software downloads 2009-11-04
- Wondershare Video Converter Platinum 4.3.0.7 (Windows)
- Wondershare Video Converter Platinum is the best video converter software that can convert all common video files to various formats to meet different format requirements and for playback on most popular players including iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, Zune, PSP, Pocket PC, Creative Zen, PS3, Xbox 360, Archos and more. It...
- Software downloads 2009-11-04
- Video Converter Professional 8.2.3.133 (Windows)
- Video Converter Professional is a powerful video software that supports conversion of many video formats: MP4, 3GP, AAC, AC3, MP2, MP3, MOV, MPEG, RM, WAV, and SWF. What's more, Video Converter Professional allows adjusting parameters of audio/video codec. Moreover, you can also extract and convert the audio from a video...
- Software downloads 2009-11-04
- FairStars Audio Converter Pro 1.12 (Windows)
- FairStars Audio Converter Pro is a professional audio file conversion tool to convert WAV, RealMedia(RM, RA, RAM, RMJ, RMVB), AC3, DTS, AIF, AIFF, AIFC, AU, Creative VOC, PVF, PAF, SVX, IFF, APE, FLAC, OGG, VQF, MP1, MP2, MP3, MP4, M4A, M4B, AAC, AMR, AWB, WMA, WMV, ASF to the popular...
- Software downloads 2009-11-03
- iMovie BlackBerry Converter 1.0.0.21 (Windows)
- With fast converting speed and wonderful output quality, iMovie BlackBerry Converter is the most advanced BlackBerry Converter which helps you convert video files to BlackBerry MP4 format and BlackBerry H.264 format, as well as AVI, 3GP, or WMV. iMovie BlackBerry Converter can help you convert almost any videos to BlackBerry....
- Software downloads 2009-11-03
- Snowtape 1.3.2 (Mac)
- Listen to your Favorite Radio - With its high-performance database, Snowtape is able to store thousands of radio stations for you to choose from. You can search for a particular station or sort the list by e.g. genre and bandwidth. You can also add any radio station onto your favorites...
- Software downloads 2009-11-03
- TapeDeck 1.3 (Mac)
- TapeDeck is a new audio recorder exclusively for Mac OS X 10.5, designed with a quick-capture workflow in mind. You're never more than a single mouse click or keystroke away from making a new recording, which are called, unsurprisingly, "tapes." TapeDeck records directly to compressed MP4-AAC audio, making it equally...
- Software downloads 2009-11-03
- AllMyTube 1.2.4.8 (Mac)
- Wondershare AllMyTube for Mac can automatically detect the YouTube video files from the YouTube web pages you have opened and download multiple files at a time. It is a totally free YouTube video downloader for Mac, and batch convert YouTube video or local FLV videos to regular video formats for...
- Software downloads 2009-11-03
- RER Video Converter 3.7.1 (Windows)
- RER Video Converter is a powerful video format converter that can convert video file from one format to another and support almost all popular video formats. Additionally, RER Video Converter provides an easy way to convert video/audio files to popular audio formats, such as MP3, WMA, AC3, M4A, OGG, AAC....
- Software downloads 2009-11-03
- MAC M4P Converter for iTunes 6.0.0 (Mac)
- MAC M4P Converter is an audio and music files M4P to MP3 converter. It converts any DRM protected iTunes music files (such as M4P, M4A, M4B) and unprotected music (such as MP3, WAV, AAC, OGG, AA, aif) to plain MP3, WAV or AAC formats. Then you can share these converted...
- Software downloads 2009-11-02
- Wondershare YouTube Downloader 1.2.0.3 (Mac)
- Wondershare YouTube Downloader for Mac can automatically detect the YouTube video files from the YouTube web pages you have opened and download multiple files at a time. It is a totally free YouTube video downloader for Mac, and batch convert YouTube video or local FLV videos to regular video formats...
- Software downloads 2009-11-02
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
SmartPlanet
- Thought-provoking progressive ideas on diverse topics that intersect with technology, business, and life, and matter to the world at large. Visit SmartPlanet
- More from IBM
-
- Can your business work smarter? Learn more about Lotus Symphony
- Learn how to work smarter and optimize cost using the IBM Smart SOA approach Download the eBook
- Smarter ways to make smarter products Read the brief from IBM
