WAV to AAC - Online Audio Converter
Convert WAV to AAC online. Private, client-side - no uploadrequired. Batch conversion, quality presets, codec control.
About WAV to AAC
WAV holds 16-bit PCM near 10 MB per minute, which suits editing masters but not sharing. AAC re-encodes the sound with the MPEG-4 successor to MP3, keeping streaming detail at lower bitrates. Use 256k for music archiving and 128k for speech or casual listening. Container variants need matching extensions on export, so confirm ADTS versus MP4 wrapping before sending. Keep the WAV master, since re-encoding from it beats converting an already compressed share.
Why convert WAV to AAC?
- Smaller files with AAC lossy compression.
- Keep quality where supported.
- Private, no upload - runs in your browser.
WAV vs AAC
| Codec | PCM 16-bit | AAC |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | uncompressed | lossy |
| Sample behavior | Full quality kept | Quality set by bitrate |
| Typical use | WAV is Microsoft's RIFF container, usually holding 16-bit PCM. | AAC is the MPEG-4 successor to MP3 used by YouTube and Apple Music. |
When not to convert WAV to AAC
- Skip AAC for archival masters: lossy compression discards detail, so keep the WAV original.
- Keep a master copy: repeated exports stack small losses, so archive WAV before batch AAC shares.
Limits
Starting point: WAV - 16-bit PCM near 10 MB per minute. Files run about 10 MB per minute, so archive as FLAC. Container variants (ADTS, MP4) need matching extensions on export. Encode AAC (AAC) from WAV at 256k for music or 128k for speech, starting from the master.
How conversion works
Conversion runs entirely in your browser with FFmpeg WASM. Files never leave your device.