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DROP SPECIMEN HERE

Accepted: AAC :: Max 500MB
[SECURE] :: No files transmitted to external hosts
┌─ FILE ANALYSIS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┐
│ DEVELOPER : Fraunhofer IIS / Dolby / Sony / Nokia
│ CATEGORY : Audio
│ MIME TYPE : audio/aac
│ MAGIC BYTES : FFF1
└ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘

What is an AAC file?

AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is a lossy audio compression format standardized in 1997 as part of MPEG-2 and later MPEG-4. It was designed as the successor to MP3, delivering better sound quality at similar or lower bitrates. AAC is the default audio format for Apple devices and YouTube.

How to open AAC files

  • Apple Music / iTunes (macOS, Windows, iOS)
  • VLC Media Player (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free
  • Windows Media Player (Windows) — Built-in support
  • foobar2000 (Windows) — Lightweight player
  • Any modern web browser — HTML5 audio support

Technical specifications

PropertyValue
CompressionLossy (perceptual coding)
ProfilesLC, HE-AAC, HE-AAC v2, xHE-AAC
Bit Rates8–529 kbps
Sample Rates8–96 kHz
ChannelsUp to 48 channels
ContainerM4A, MP4, ADTS

Programs that open AAC files

  • Apple Music / iTunes — Native Apple player
  • VLC Media Player — Universal player
  • foobar2000 — Lightweight Windows player
  • AIMP — Free audio player
  • MediaMonkey — Music manager

Common use cases

  • Apple ecosystem: Default format for iTunes/Apple Music
  • YouTube audio: YouTube’s primary audio codec
  • Mobile audio: Default for iOS recordings
  • Digital radio: DAB+ broadcasting