updated
Mar 4, 2026
128MB
file size
2.5K
downloads
FFMPEG Audio Encoder is a free, portable Windows GUI from developer jessielw that bundles FFmpeg, qaac, FDK-AAC and MediaInfo in one folder, so you can encode to AC3, AAC, Opus, FLAC or ALAC without collecting the tools yourself.
Getting good audio encoding on Windows usually means collecting programs from four different places.
Version 4.11.3 is one folder with all of them already inside it, which is why the download is as large as it is.
It handles audio only, and that narrowness is the point rather than a limitation.
Everything Is Already in the Folder
The download carries FFmpeg for the encoding itself, MediaInfo for inspecting what you started with, mpv for previewing, and the standalone AAC encoders.
Output covers AC3 and E-AC3, AAC, Opus, MP3, FLAC and ALAC, plus DTS handling.
It reads audio out of video files just as happily as it reads audio files, which is the common case for anyone pulling a soundtrack off a recording.
If you are choosing between AC3 and its newer sibling for a home cinema setup, our guide covers why E-AC3 matters.
Nothing here needs a separate install, which is the whole trade: a bigger download once, instead of four smaller ones and a folder of loose executables.
It Ships Both of the Good AAC Encoders
This is the part worth knowing about, and it is why this tool is on the site at all.
Most converters give you one AAC encoder and you take what you are given. This one carries qaac, which reaches Apple's encoder, and FDK-AAC, Fraunhofer's, side by side.
Those two have topped public listening tests for years, and having both in one place means you can compare them on your own material rather than trusting somebody else's graph.
CHECK THIS FIRST
The qaac path needs Apple's CoreAudioToolbox, which cannot be redistributed with other software. If AAC output through qaac fails, that component is the reason, and our qaac page explains how to obtain it without installing iTunes. FDK-AAC works regardless.
If you are unsure which AAC profile you want in the first place, our guide explains the difference between AAC-LC and AAC-HE.
What Else It Does
Batch conversion is built in, so you set the codec, bitrate and sample rate once and point it at a folder rather than a file.
The settings go deeper than the preset lists most simple converters offer, which matters when you are matching an existing track's parameters rather than picking a target from a menu.
On DTS it handles extracting the DTS core from DTS-HD sources, which is the usual requirement when a player refuses the full track.
Before You Install
It is free and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier, no registration and no account.
It is a Windows program. The developer's repository lists Windows only, and several of the bundled components are Windows builds, so treat any claim of Mac or Linux support with caution.
There is no installer. It runs from wherever you unpack it, writes nothing to the registry, and works from a USB stick, which is the practical benefit of the Python packaging underneath.
Where It Fits Against the Other FFmpeg Front Ends
| Front end | Scope | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|
| FFMPEG Audio Encoder | Audio only, everything bundled | You want good AAC without assembling the tools |
| FFmpeg Batch AV Converter | Audio and video, in bulk | The queue is hundreds of files long |
| SmartFFmpeg | Minimal, bring your own FFmpeg | You want 178KB and no bundled anything |
| FFmpeg Media Encoder for Android | Phones | The files are on a handset |
| FFmpegGUI | Retired | Never, it stopped in 2021 |
Who Should Look Elsewhere
The tell is the download size. If 128MB for an audio converter is more than you want to keep on a laptop, the specialists are all far smaller.
winLAME and LameXP both handle MP3 and more in a fraction of the space.
fre:ac rips and converts in one window, and EZ CD Audio Converter is the polished paid option if you would rather pay than tinker.
For single formats there are better specialists still. eac3to is the one for disc audio, and X FLAC Encoder wraps the reference encoder for lossless.
exhale is worth knowing about if xHE-AAC is what you actually need, since nothing else here produces it.
For one file with nothing to install at all, our online audio converter runs in the browser.
Quick questions
Is it free?
Yes, and open source under the MIT licence. There is no trial, no watermark, no registration and no paid version.
Do I need to install FFmpeg separately?
No. FFmpeg is inside the download, along with the other encoders, which is why the file is as large as it is.
Why is an audio converter 128MB?
Because it carries FFmpeg, two AAC encoders, MediaInfo, mpv and a Python runtime rather than expecting you to supply them. The alternative is four downloads instead of one.
Which AAC encoder should I use?
qaac has the edge at lower bitrates and FDK-AAC is excellent and needs nothing extra installed. Having both means you can try each on your own files.
Does it convert video too?
No, it is audio only. It will happily take a video file as input and pull the audio out of it, but the output is always audio.
Does it run on Mac or Linux?
Treat it as Windows software. The developer's repository lists Windows only, and several bundled components are Windows builds.
The rest of the audio encoders category covers the lighter specialists if a bundle is more than you need.
Download FFMPEG Audio Encoder 4.11.3 and see how it handles your files, or tell us how you got on if you have used it before.
