It is possible to convert a song from AAC to MP3 format in iTunes. Therefore, you will get a small file size thanks to a compression technology that reduces the sound quality a bit. If you are interested in knowing how to convert an AAC song to MP3 format easily with iTunes, continue reading this interesting article.
What is an AAC file?
“AAC” stands for “Advanced Audio Coding” and refers to a file format that contains digital audio and music data. An AAC file can be played in applications such as Windows Media Player or Winamp. Importantly, iTunes has a default encoding standard defined by the AAC encoding specifications.
What is an MP3 file?
“MP3” stands for “Motion Picture Experts Group” and is related to a digital audio file. These files can be opened in multiple applications for audio playback. Even an MP3 file can be opened on different platforms and also converted into a format, in the case of Windows, you can convert files to MP3 from Windows Media.
How to Convert AAC Song to MP3 with iTunes Easily
If you want to convert an AAC song to MP3 format easily with iTunes, it is important that you know what iTunes consists of and how to use its converter through the procedure that we will explain to you later.
The ‘iTunes’ software
“ITunes” is an application that allows the playback of multimedia files. This software is included by default in Apple computers and devices and allows you to open different formats of audio files, download, organize and save digital audio and video.
The application can be linked to the “iTunes Store” so that users can download music, videos, ringtones for mobile devices, games and audio books.
Generally, the tool runs on computers and devices with the Mac OS X system, although you can also use this software on Windows and it is even possible to download and install iTunes on Ubuntu.
Modify iTunes settings
First of all, you need to modify the iTunes settings. To do so, download iTunes from the App Store. If you already have the application, access it from your Mac computer and select “Preferences.” If you have a PC with Windows system, locate the option “Edit” and click on “Preferences”.
Later, look for the “General” tab and press the “Import” button. Go to the “Import Settings” window and from the “Import using” drop-down menu choose the “MP3 Encoder” option.
Sets the audio quality
Locate the “Setting” menu and configure the audio quality. If you choose high quality, then the result of the conversion will be a better sounding audio file but it will take up more space.
Therefore, to set the audio quality you can select the option “Higher quality” for 192 kbps or “Custom” for 256 kbps files. Finally, press the “OK” button to configure the settings.
Convert AAC song to MP3
From iTunes, locate the AAC song you want to convert. It is important to note that you can choose a single song or a list of songs in this format. To select a list, you can hold down the “Command” key if you have a Mac or “Ctrl” if you have a Windows computer.
Once you have chosen your song or song list in AAC format, click on “File” and press “Convert.” Then select “Create MP3 version.” Immediately, it will start the conversion process that will last a few minutes depending on the number of files you want to convert and the audio quality that you previously set.
Select the MP3 file
When the conversion process is finished, you will get a copy of each audio file, that is, an AAC file and an MP3 file. To identify the MP3 file, select one of the copies and press “Command + I” on a Mac or “Ctrl + I” from Windows.
An information window about the file format will appear so that you can delete one of them or keep both if you wish. It is worth mentioning that you can also convert MP4 files to MP3 with iTunes so that you can listen to your audios and enjoy this tool to the maximum.