Convert MP3 to AAC Easily and for Free

I started to look for a program to convert my MP3 files to AAC files, and Google's front page was as helpful as a car tyre is to a hedgehog.

Vroom splat.

Then I recalled something I read ages ago about iTunes having conversion functions built into it. A quick fondle through the iTunes' menus and bingo.

A lot of music playing devices, such as the pretty new Nintendo DSi, require AAC files and not MP3s. Files converted to AAC using iTunes will play fine on any AAC compliant device.

If after you have converted your MP3s you have ended up with M4A files then don't worry, you just selected 'Apple lossless' format instead of AAC. Try again or if you no longer have your MP3s then convert from M4A to AAC, iTunes will do that as well.

How to use iTunes for converting music formats:

1. Open iTunes, select Edit then Preferences and click on the General tab. Now click the button that says Import Settings.
2. Change the Import using drop down menu to AAC encoder. Select the bit rate you fancy, have it as high as the highest bitrate MP3 file you want to convert so you a losing as little quality as possible. Hit OK and close the preferences menus.
3. Then in your iTunes Library window select the tracks you want to convert to AAC, an easy way to do this is to press Apple+A or Control+A on your keyboard to select all. If you need to sort then right click the iTunes Kind column header to sort by type.
4. When you have them selected right click on one of the files - or select Advanced from the iTunes menu - and choose Create AAC Version and, well, that's it. Ta Da.

This won't delete your MP3 files, you will get AAC files alongside your existing MP3 files. Later, if you are happy, you can delete your MP3 files and save some diskspace.

If you want to remove all your MP3s after converting to AAC:

Firstly make sure you really want to do this, it will save space on your hard disk but personally I would reccomend that you burn all your MP3s to CD/DVD before deleting them.

1. Open iTunes
2. Select Library
3. Right click on a column name (Bit Rate or Name for example)
4. Make sure Kind is ticked as this shows you the file types
5. Click on the Kind column title to sort the file types
6. Left click your first MP3, hold down shift, left click the last MP3 in the list
7. Press delete

If you have any questions just post them in the comment section below, thanks!

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