.AAC File Extension

Advanced Audio Coding

AAC was designed as a successor to MP3 format. Blind tests showed AAC had greater sound quality and transparency than MP3 at the same bit rate. Improvements include more sample rates (8 to 96 kHz) tha...

General Information

Title AAC File Extension
Extension .aac
Full Form Advanced Audio Coding
File Type Audio File
Developer Bell, Fraunhofer, Dolby, Sony, Nokia
MIME Type audio/aac

File Function

Primary Function Audio storage
Additional Functions Streaming
Features Lossy compression, High quality

File Characteristics

Quality High
Supports Layers No
Supports Transparency N/A
Editable Yes

Use Cases

Music Streaming Yes
Digital Downloads Yes
Podcasting Yes

Security and Practices

Security Risks Low
Best Practices Regular updates, Licensed software

Historical/Version Information

Initial Release 1997
ISO Standard MPEG-2 Part 7, MPEG-4 Part 3

Associated Types

Similar Extensions .mp3, .m4a, .wma, .wav

Software Compatibility

Software Usage Policy OS Compatibility
iTunes Free Windows, Mac
VLC Media Player Free Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
foobar2000 Free Windows