Playing AAC files on PC

[saabmp3]

I ripped a couple of my friends albums using AAC as a test to see if we could get them to play on his PC. No luck. Does anyone know how to get these .m4a files to play on windows?

Thanks,

BEN

[Chimaera]

there are loads of them - do a search on Google for Windows AAC player.

I would assume musicmatch jukebox does, for a start, and probably winamp too (I don't have any AAC files to check)

[jholzner]

Originally posted by saabmp3
I ripped a couple of my friends albums using AAC as a test to see if we could get them to play on his PC. No luck. Does anyone know how to get these .m4a files to play on windows?

Thanks,

BEN

I'm not sure but I think that there are no programs for windows that can play them. May have to wait for iTunes for windows. Did Apple update Quicktime for windows to 6.2? I know that that update added aac support in quicktime for Macs...not sure about the windows version.

[MorganX]

Originally posted by jholzner
I'm not sure but I think that there are no programs for windows that can play them. May have to wait for iTunes for windows. Did Apple update Quicktime for windows to 6.2? I know that that update added aac support in quicktime for Macs...not sure about the windows version.

Nero has an AAC plug-in! I've always thought Nero and Nero Express were the best and most reliable general CD burning apps around (and still do, iTunes is as solid but music only). It's interesting, here's what Nero, arguably the best CD software on the PC has to say about AAC:


Compared to MP3, MPEG-4/AAC is the audio compression for the 21st century!

More Nero MPEG-4/AAC features

State of the art in audio compression
Up to 448 Kbps bit rate
Constant and Variable bit rate
Up to 8 audio channels
Direct ripping, burning, playback and editing
Support for latest processors optimizations (MMX, SSE, SSE-2)
More than 15 times than real-time compression on high-end PCs
Quality profiles for various encoding applications

[Wardofsky]

Originally posted by MorganX
Nero has an AAC plug-in! I've always thought Nero and Nero Express were the best and most reliable general CD burning apps around (and still do, iTunes is as solid but music only). It's interesting, here's what Nero, arguably the best CD software on the PC has to say about AAC:


Compared to MP3, MPEG-4/AAC is the audio compression for the 21st century!

More Nero MPEG-4/AAC features

State of the art in audio compression
Up to 448 Kbps bit rate
Constant and Variable bit rate
Up to 8 audio channels
Direct ripping, burning, playback and editing
Support for latest processors optimizations (MMX, SSE, SSE-2)
More than 15 times than real-time compression on high-end PCs
Quality profiles for various encoding applications



As above you can get the Nero plug in for Windows Media Player or you can get LiquidAudio (http://www.liquidaudio.com/products/liqplayer/windows/) which is pretty much a media player (like WMP) only 3rd Party.

I have yet to test out both but the both claim to have (the marvelous) AAC support.

[toughboy]

I'd say wait for iTunes for Windows... this is what I'm doing at the moment!.. :)

[Wardofsky]

Originally posted by toughboy
I'd say wait for iTunes for Windows... this is what I'm doing at the moment!.. :)

Yeah, but the great iTunes GUI will be wasted on the somewhat, crap, Windows GUI.

And with Liquid Audio PC player being at around 13mb, I may wait as well...

[orangefoodie]

IIRC, Winamp can play AAC files with the appropriately named AAC plug-in. Do a google for sommit like 'AAC Winamp plug-in' and you'll find it. And go with classic Winamp 2.78, it's a whole lot faster and more stable than Winamp 3 IMHO.

[Jaykay]

Yeah, these programs may be play aac and all but they wont play any aac music downloaded from the apple music store. I assume you will have to wait for itunes for windows for that. But then again, if your not using the music store, im sure aac files will work great on these players. Nero is my personal favourite.

[Wardofsky]

Originally posted by Jaykay
Yeah, these programs may be play aac and all but they wont play any aac music downloaded from the apple music store. I assume you will have to wait for itunes for windows for that. But then again, if your not using the music store, im sure aac files will work great on these players. Nero is my personal favourite.

Hey, I searched all over the nero website but could not find the Windows Media Player plug-in.

Do you have the link or anything?

[Jaykay]

Nero includes our MPEG-4/AAC Plug-in Trial Version. Simply run Nero and click File Encoding on the Extras menu. Click here to download the Nero Demo Version.

Nero owners can add unlimited MP4/AAC en-/decoding by purchasing our full MPEG-4/AAC En-/Decoder Plug-in. Click here to order online!

This is a quote from the nero website. Just download the latest version.

[berkleebassist]

Here's a direct link to an AAC plug-in: http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/11/1/3/11-1-3-40.shtml Enjoy!

[MetallicPenguin]

Originally posted by berkleebassist
Here's a direct link to an AAC plug-in: http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/11/1/3/11-1-3-40.shtml Enjoy!

Wait if you just replied all this time later...why didn't you just say "get iTunes"

[berkleebassist]

Because some people don't have Windows XP, thus they can't use iTunes for Windows. So they need the plug-in. :)

[bannedagain]

Winamp 5

[MetallicPenguin]

Originally posted by berkleebassist
Because some people don't have Windows XP, thus they can't use iTunes for Windows. So they need the plug-in. :)

Oh okay sorry:)

[albeik]

You can use Quicktime for windows or download this codec (http://www.3ivx.com/codec/download_win.php).