Video conversion
Convert MPEG to AAC
Updated Jul 2026
MPEG is a video format, so converting it to AAC means pulling out just the audio track and encoding that as AAC, an audio format built for Apple devices and streaming apps. The video itself is dropped. You can do this on your own computer, with a converter that extracts and encodes the audio locally, so the original footage never has to leave your machine.
- Extension
- .mpeg
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Broadcast, DVD
- Compression
- Lossy
- Extension
- .aac
- Type
- Audio
- Typically
- Apple / streaming audio
- Compression
- Lossy
Convert MPEG to AAC on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert MPEG to AAC
- Open Morphjet and drag in the MPEG file, or a whole folder of them, that you want the audio from.
- Choose AAC as the output format.
- Convert. Morphjet pulls the audio track out of each video and writes it as an AAC file next to the original, and nothing leaves your machine.
MPEG vs AAC: what actually changes
| MPEG | AAC | |
|---|---|---|
| Contains video | Yes | No, audio only |
| File size | Much larger, video dominates it | Much smaller, audio track alone |
| Audio quality | Lossy, often modest bitrate | Lossy, but generally efficient at a given size |
| Plays on | Media players, DVD hardware, broadcast gear | Apple devices, iTunes-style libraries, streaming apps |
| Editable as audio | No, buried inside a video container | Yes, a standalone audio file |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert MPEG to AAC when what you actually want is the sound, not the picture, like the audio from a lecture, interview, or music video you'd rather listen to on a phone or in a podcast-style app.
Keep the original MPEG if you still need the video, since converting to AAC extracts and re-encodes the audio only and the footage is gone from that file.
Why not just use an online converter?
MPEG files are often personal recordings, home video, meetings, footage you'd rather not hand to a stranger's server just to pull out the sound. An online converter has to upload the whole video file before it can give you back an audio track. Doing it on your own computer means the footage stays put and only the AAC file gets written.
Questions
Does converting MPEG to AAC lose quality?
Some. The audio inside an MPEG file is already compressed, and encoding it again as AAC is a second lossy pass, so there's a small amount of extra quality loss. For most listening it isn't noticeable, but it's not lossless.
Do I still get the video?
No. Converting to AAC extracts the audio track and discards the video. If you need both, keep the original MPEG alongside the new AAC file.
Will the AAC file have a title or track info?
Usually little to none. MPEG video files don't typically carry the kind of song metadata (title, artist, album) that music files do, so the AAC you get is often just the audio with no tags attached.
Why convert to AAC instead of another audio format?
AAC is what Apple devices, iTunes-style libraries, and most streaming apps expect, and it tends to sound good at a smaller size than older formats. If you mainly listen on non-Apple gear, another format might suit you just as well.
Can this be done without uploading the video anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet extracts and encodes the audio on your own computer, so the video file never has to travel over the internet.
Morphjet converts MPEG, AAC, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.