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qaac is nu774's free command-line encoder for Windows that converts WAV, FLAC and other lossless sources to AAC through Apple's own CoreAudio encoder, the one behind iTunes, and to Apple Lossless through the bundled refalac tool.
Version 3.03 is a 6MB archive of command-line programs, and there is nothing to install.
It takes lossless audio in and produces AAC or Apple Lossless out, with more control over the encode than any graphical converter will give you.
The catch is that half of it depends on a component from Apple, and that is worth understanding before you download anything.
What qaac Actually Uses to Encode
qaac is a front end for Apple's own AAC encoder, the same one that sits inside iTunes. That is the entire point of it, and it is why people who care about AAC quality keep coming back to a program with no interface.
Apple's encoder has spent years at the top of public listening tests, particularly at middling bitrates where the differences between encoders actually show. qaac gives you direct access to it, including the True VBR mode that most graphical tools never expose.
It is worth being clear about what qaac is not, because this is often confused. It has no connection to Fraunhofer FDK AAC, which is a separate encoder with its own strengths and its own download.
If you are still deciding which AAC flavour you want, our guide on the difference between AAC-LC and AAC-HE covers when each one makes sense.
What You Need Installed First
Because qaac calls Apple's encoder rather than carrying its own, that encoder has to be on your machine. This is the single most common reason a fresh download refuses to work.
BEFORE YOU START
qaac needs Apple's CoreAudioToolbox to encode AAC. Installing iTunes or Apple Application Support puts it there, and if you would rather not install either, the Using qaac without iTunes tutorial walks through extracting just the files you need.
Run qaac --check once you have set it up. It reports which CoreAudioToolbox version qaac found, and that answer matters for the next section.
refalac, the Half That Needs Nothing
The same archive contains refalac, an Apple Lossless encoder written from scratch by the same author. It has no Apple dependency whatsoever.
If you are moving a FLAC library into ALAC for an Apple device, refalac does that job on its own, with no iTunes components anywhere near your PC.
The CBR Problem Worth Knowing About
This one comes from the author rather than from users, and it has not been resolved.
Avoid constant bitrate mode. CoreAudioToolbox versions from 7.9.8.x up to 7.10.9.0 can introduce audible glitches in AAC CBR encodes. Version 7.9.7.x is unaffected, but obtaining it means an iTunes installer from 2012.
The practical answer is to use one of the variable modes instead. True VBR, constrained VBR and average bitrate are all unaffected, and TVBR is what most people should be using anyway.
What It Reads and What It Writes
Input handling is broader than the average encoder. WAV, AIFF, CAF, FLAC, ALAC, Ogg and MP3 all work, along with cue sheets for splitting a single ripped image into tagged tracks.
Output is AAC-LC, HE-AAC and HE-AACv2 in MP4 or M4A, plus Apple Lossless through refalac. Tags, cover art and gapless playback information are written properly, which is more than several graphical converters manage.
What Changed in qaac 3.0
Version 3.0 was mostly structural, and it is the largest rebuild the project has had.
- The build system moved to CMake, adding gcc and clang alongside MSVC, with both MinGW and MSVC targets and a choice of the MSVCRT or UCRT runtime.
- Linux and macOS builds became possible for the first time, although Linux support covers refalac only.
- A new Ogg demultiplexer reads Ogg files natively when the libFLAC, libopus and libvorbis DLLs are present, chained Ogg files included.
- The container layer moved from libmp4v2 to mmtisobmff, so output is always optimised and fragmented MP4 files can now be read.
- The convolution filter is built in, so libsoxconvolver is no longer a separate DLL.
- The --play mode gained keyboard controls for pausing, seeking and skipping tracks.
Several changes often listed with 3.0 actually landed earlier: the CAF parser with FLAC support arrived in 2.85, the faster input reader in 2.84, the newer CAF channel layouts in 2.83, and the NoLACE decoder enhancement for Opus in MP4 in 2.8.2.
Where qaac Fits in a Ripping Workflow
qaac is one link in a chain, and it expects something else to hand it clean audio.
For CDs, Exact Audio Copy is the accuracy-first ripper and pairs naturally with qaac as an external encoder. CDex is the lighter option if you do not need per-track verification.
FFmpeg handles anything qaac cannot read, decoding to WAV and piping it straight in. eac3to does the same job for audio pulled out of Blu-ray and DVD sources.
Once encoded, MKVToolNix muxes the result into a video container without touching the audio again.
If a command line is not where you want to live, EZ CD Audio Converter and FFmpegGUI both give you a window instead.
Our guide on why a command line beats a GUI here is worth reading before you decide, because the trade is not all one way.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
The tell is the Apple dependency. If installing anything from Apple on your PC is not going to happen, qaac's AAC half is closed to you, and only refalac remains useful.
For AAC without any Apple component, Fraunhofer FDK AAC is the strongest alternative, and FAAD2 and FAAC cover the open-source end.
For MP3 rather than AAC, winLAME and LameXP both wrap LAME in an interface.
fre:ac is the free all-rounder if you would rather rip and convert in the same window.
For one file, right now, our online audio converter does it in the browser with nothing to download.
Quick questions
Is qaac free?
Yes, and there is no paid version, no trial and no nag screen. Apple's CoreAudioToolbox, which qaac needs for AAC, is also free to obtain.
Do I have to install iTunes?
No. Apple Application Support alone is enough, and the tutorial linked above shows how to extract just the required files without installing anything permanently.
Why does qaac say it cannot find CoreAudioToolbox?
Because the Apple component is missing or is not somewhere qaac can see it. Put the DLL in the same folder as qaac.exe, then run qaac --check to confirm it is found.
Which quality setting should I use?
True VBR with -V is the usual recommendation, and it also sidesteps the constant-bitrate glitch described above. Higher numbers mean higher quality and larger files.
Is Apple's encoder really better than the alternatives?
It has led public listening tests for years, especially around 96 to 128 kbps. At higher bitrates the gap between good AAC encoders narrows to the point where most listeners cannot hear it.
What is refalac for?
It encodes Apple Lossless rather than AAC, and it needs no Apple components at all. It ships in the same archive as qaac.
Not sure what your files contain before you start? The Codec Finder will tell you, and the full audio encoders category covers the alternatives.
Download qaac 3.03 and see how it handles your files, or tell us how you got on if you have used it before.
