As improvements to digital audio players, such as the iPod and the PSP, are continually introduced to the market, there is a growing demand for music to be formatted as MP4. The AAC designation stands for "Advance Audio Coding," meaning that it generally achieves better sound quality. Historically, however, digital audio players have played music in the MP3 format. Fortunately, a number of options are available to aid in converting files saved as MP3s into the MP4 format.
Instructions
Converting MP3 to MP4 AAC
1. Install a conversion program on your computer. A number of software programs are available, each of them with their own mechanism for conversion of the file. When researching software, ensure that you select one that converts the file format both ways (i.e., converts MP3s to MP4s and vice versa).
Once selected, download and install the software program by following the on-screen instructions of the specific program.
2. Download and install the MP4 codec software if necessary. Depending upon the software you select, the codec may or may not be included in the software. If the codec is not installed, it can be downloaded as a secondary step prior to converting the audio.
3. Open the conversion program and begin by selecting the audio files you want to convert. For most programs, you can select either a single file or an entire folder of audio. Once selected, add the files to your list of audio to be converted by the program.
4. Select the output format you want to convert the files to, such as MP4a. For iPod players, the "a" designation must be included after the MP4, which designates the file as an audio file. Some of the more extensive conversion software programs require you to select a bit rate, sample rate and quality in addition to selecting just the format.
5. Select the folder where you would like the files to be placed once converted. Some software programs will default to the location from which you selected the files, while others will create a default location on your computer. Once selected, press the "start" function in the software program and the conversion begins.
Tags: Once selected, software programs, audio players, conversion program, default location, digital audio