A utility that changes one audio track format to another is called a converter. In this article we will talk about the most popular programs, as well as give details, features and disadvantages. With the help of any program from our list, the user can convert any format into the most popular – MP3.
So, why, in fact, do this?
For example, let’s give the following situation: there is an old CD on which the music you like has already been recorded, but you can’t listen to it on your PC. In order to transfer all tracks to the hard disk, you need to format everything to MP3 using a converter.
Similarly, you can convert audio from a YouTube video to an MP3 file. Usually, conversion programs are paid, since they are considered professional. Paying for a day of use is also not an option, because what’s the point of overpaying a large amount of money for a day of use. That is why we decided to create a rating of the best and free conversion programs.
All mentioned utilities are compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, as well as XP. However, for full functionality, you need to activate your operating system. This is done simply, with the help of a free activator.
The built-in sound card is suitable for these programs. You don’t need to have a professional sound card. The conversion takes place at the level of computer code. For clarity, we have depicted the process schematically.
Rating of the best and free converters
Any Audio Converter
It takes the first place in our list, as it is considered one of the most convenient and the best. It supports the following formats: FLAC, MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG. With this software, you can easily extract music and other audio tracks from videos, as well as discs. Thanks to the program, you can download MP3 from the following sites: Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, FaceBook.
Advantages
- Custom tag editing;
- The ability to cut the sound;
- Frequency customization;
- Bitrate management;
- Intuitive interface;
Disadvantages
- Intrusive commercials;
Downloading this program is possible on the official website.
Switch Audio File
This utility was released by the well-known company NCH-Software. It works on the following operating systems: Windows, Linux, Mac, Android. It is considered one of the most reliable and practical programs in this field. There is support for the following formats: WMA, WAVE, FLAC, OGG, MP3.
Advantages
- Easily extracts audio from video files;
- Extraction from CD discs is provided;
- There are patterns of work;
- High speed of operation;
- Batch audio modification;
- Automatic sound correction at the output;
Disadvantages
- Inconvenient and outdated interface;
You can download the Switch Audio File on the official website.
Freemake Audio Converter
The same free utility for conversion. It has proven itself on the good side, therefore it is popular. At the moment, the number of fans is about 60 million users. There are additional functions for extracting sounds from YouTube videos. Support formats: MP3, MP4, M4A, WAVE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, AAC.
Advantages
- CD support as well as Blue-Ray;
- Changing channels in a track;
- Frequency management;
- Editing the bitrate;
- Batch conversion;
- Localization into many languages;
- Intuitive interface;
Disadvantages
- The speed of file conversion and compression is too slow;
You can download this program from the official website.
Stellar Audio Video
With this software, you can solve almost any sound problem. There is support for more than 40 different formats, among which there are: CD, 55X, POA, EXX, AAi, MP3, MP4, AAC, OGG, FLAC, WMA, WAV.
Advantages
- A large number of codes;
- Converting videos to HD;
- Batch conversion;
Disadvantages
- Non-modern interface;
- It is not possible to write to external optical disks;
The download is available at the link below.
VSDC converter
If you need a program with multifunctional options, then VSDC is for you. Works only with audio formats, respectively, converts only them. In this application, you will not be able to cut audio from YouTube. Formats that are supported: MP3, AAC, WMA, WAVE, OGG.
Advantages
- Very fast work;
- Easy interface;
- A large number of advanced settings;
- Completely free;
- Detailed frequency setting;
- Changing the bitrate and tags for audio;
Disadvantages
- The support service works for a fee;
The download is available below.
MediaHuman Audio
The right app that will allow the user to convert to 25 different formats. It also works in the opposite direction. Perfect for cutting music from a video file in YouTube. Does its job without loss of sound quality.
Advantages
- Completely free;
- Easy and intuitive interface;
- You can extract audio from video files;
Disadvantages
- There is no possibility of burning to CDs;
The download is also available from the developers’ website.
Free Audio
Absolutely free program for conversion. The program is open source on the Internet. The converter supports the following operating systems: Linux, Windows, macOS. It also easily reads a large number of audio formats.
Advantages
- Recording to disks is provided;
- There is support for CD reading;
Disadvantages
- There is no built-in editor;
Free Audio download is available on our official website.
All the programs listed in the article run on the Windows OS.
The most popular audio formats for conversion
| MP3 is the most popular format due to the small file size. Supports maximum compression, which often causes poor audio quality. The format is designed for mobile phones and digital players. |
| The AAC format is an alternative to mp3, but has a higher sound quality. Developed by Apple for downloading from iTunes and streaming from Apple Music. |
| AIFF is also developed by Apple. The format has a lot of weight and good sound quality. It was developed as a replacement for the WAV format. The file has more complete metadata in the content. Not a popular format. |
| DSD is an audio format without compression. It is rarely used now. Used in SD. |
| FLAC is a good quality audio format, supports metadata and compression. Similar to WAV format, but the size is two or three times smaller. This audio format is not supported by Apple on their devices. |
| OGG format is used in Spotify. The developers do not hide the format code. Does not fall under the scope of patents. The best replacement for ACC and mp3 formats. |
| WAV is a format with the best recording quality but with the largest file sizes. This format is used on CDs. Weak support for the file metadata. Does not support compression. |
| WMA Lossless – audio from Windows. It was developed for smartphones and tablets by Micrisoft. Now there is little support for devices and does not have much popularity. |
So, we have listed the top of the best free audio converters. Do not forget that there are other programs on the network that can cope with the task no worse than those listed. We will write about them in the next article. Well, now you can choose one of the programs you like, download it from our website and start converting audio files.