---
title: ".aac file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .aac file is an Advanced Audio Coding. The successor to MP3 — better sound per byte, used by YouTube, Apple and broadcast. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/aac/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .aac files

**.aac file: Advanced Audio Coding**

The successor to MP3 — better sound per byte, used by YouTube, Apple and broadcast.

## What opens a .aac file

- **Windows:** VLC, Media Player (built in), foobar2000
- **macOS:** Music (built in), QuickTime Player (built in), VLC
- **Linux:** VLC, Audacious, mpv

## What a .aac file is

AAC is the MPEG audio codec that replaced MP3 in most modern systems, delivering noticeably better quality at low bitrates. Most AAC audio actually lives inside .m4a or .mp4 files; a bare .aac file is a raw ADTS stream, which some players handle poorly even though they play the same codec happily in an M4A. Renaming or remuxing to .m4a fixes most stubborn cases.

## Converting it

A .aac file is commonly converted to .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .flac or .ogg. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .aac
- **Full name:** Advanced Audio Coding
- **Category:** Audio
- **MIME type:** audio/aac
- **Created by:** Fraunhofer IIS / MPEG
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .aac file?

On Windows use VLC; on macOS use Music (built in); on Linux use VLC. The successor to MP3 — better sound per byte, used by YouTube, Apple and broadcast.

### What is a .aac file?

Advanced Audio Coding. AAC is the MPEG audio codec that replaced MP3 in most modern systems, delivering noticeably better quality at low bitrates. Most AAC audio actually lives inside .m4a or .mp4 files; a bare .aac file is a raw ADTS stream, which some players handle poorly even though they play the same codec happily in an M4A.

### Can I convert a .aac file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .flac or .ogg, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.mp3 — MPEG-1 Audio Layer III](https://atoneplace.net/file/mp3/)
- [.wav — Waveform Audio File](https://atoneplace.net/file/wav/)
- [.m4a — MPEG-4 Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/m4a/)
- [.flac — Free Lossless Audio Codec](https://atoneplace.net/file/flac/)
- [.ogg — Ogg Vorbis Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/ogg/)
- [.opus — Opus Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/opus/)
- [.mid — MIDI Sequence](https://atoneplace.net/file/mid/)
- [.m3u — Media Playlist](https://atoneplace.net/file/m3u/)
- [.wma — Windows Media Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/wma/)
- [.aiff — Audio Interchange File Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/aiff/)
- [.m4b — MPEG-4 Audiobook](https://atoneplace.net/file/m4b/)
- [.amr — Adaptive Multi-Rate Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/amr/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)