Audio conversion
Convert MP3 to AAC
Updated Jul 2026
MP3 is the format almost anything can play, and AAC is what Apple devices and most streaming services use by default. To convert MP3 to AAC, open the file in a converter and export it as AAC. Doing this on your own computer means the audio never has to leave your machine to reach a server.
- Extension
- .mp3
- Type
- Audio
- Typically
- The universal audio format
- Compression
- Lossy
- Extension
- .aac
- Type
- Audio
- Typically
- Apple / streaming audio
- Compression
- Lossy
Convert MP3 to AAC on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert MP3 to AAC
- Open Morphjet and drag in the MP3 files you want to convert. Add a single track or a whole folder at once.
- Choose AAC as the output format and pick a bitrate.
- Convert. The AAC files are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
MP3 vs AAC: what actually changes
| MP3 | AAC | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Larger for the same perceived quality | Smaller, thanks to more efficient compression |
| Quality at a given bitrate | Good, but needs a higher bitrate to sound clean | Slightly better, especially at lower bitrates |
| Plays everywhere | Yes, close to universal, including old hardware | Yes on almost everything made in the last decade, less so on very old devices |
| Native to | No single platform, general purpose | Apple devices and most streaming services |
| Keeps song info (title, artist, cover art) | Yes, as ID3 tags | Yes, the equivalent tags carry over |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert MP3 to AAC when you're loading music onto an iPhone or Mac, want smaller files at close to the same quality, or need the format a particular streaming service prefers.
Keep the MP3 if it's your only copy of a recording, since converting a lossy MP3 to AAC is a second compression pass and won't recover any detail the MP3 already lost.
Why not just use an online converter?
Personal recordings, purchased tracks, and voice memos aren't things most people want sitting on a stranger's server, even briefly. An online converter has to upload your audio to do its job. Converting on your own computer means the MP3 goes in, the AAC comes out, and the file never touches the internet.
Questions
Does converting MP3 to AAC lose quality?
A little more than people expect. MP3 is already lossy, so turning it into AAC is a second round of compression, not a clean upgrade. For casual listening the difference is unlikely to be audible, but it can't undo whatever detail the original MP3 already lost.
Will the song title, artist, and cover art carry over?
Yes, in most cases. The tags stored in the MP3 map onto the equivalent fields in the AAC file, so titles, artists, and artwork usually survive the conversion.
Why do some devices prefer AAC over MP3?
AAC fits more perceived audio quality into the same file size, which is why Apple devices and many streaming services default to it. MP3 is still the more universal format, so very old players and hardware may not read AAC at all.
Is AAC always better than MP3?
Not always. AAC is more efficient at the same bitrate, but if you're converting from an existing MP3 rather than an original source, you're compressing already-compressed audio, so the result won't sound better than the MP3 you started with.
Can I convert MP3 to AAC without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet does the conversion on your own computer, so the file never has to travel over the internet.
Morphjet converts MP3, AAC, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.