Video conversion
Convert AVI to AAC
Updated Jul 2026
AVI is an old Windows video container, and AAC is a compressed audio format used by Apple devices and most streaming apps. To convert AVI to AAC, you pull the audio track out of the video and save it on its own, the video itself is dropped. Doing this on your own computer means the file never has to leave your machine.
- Extension
- .avi
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Legacy Windows video
- Extension
- .aac
- Type
- Audio
- Typically
- Apple / streaming audio
- Compression
- Lossy
Convert AVI to AAC on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert AVI to AAC
- Open Morphjet and drag in the AVI file, or a whole folder of them, you want the audio from.
- Choose AAC as the output format.
- Convert. Morphjet writes the AAC audio file next to your original, and nothing is uploaded anywhere.
AVI vs AAC: what actually changes
| AVI | AAC | |
|---|---|---|
| What it contains | Video and audio together | Audio only, the video is discarded |
| File size | Large, since it's carrying a video track | Much smaller, it's audio alone |
| Quality | Can be lossless, depending on how it was recorded | Lossy, the audio is compressed to shrink it |
| Compatibility | Mostly Windows and older media players | Plays natively on Apple devices and in most streaming and podcast apps |
| Playback | Needs a video player | Plays in any music or podcast app |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert AVI to AAC when what you actually want is the sound, a lecture, an interview, a home movie's audio, and you don't need the picture, or when you want to carry that audio onto an iPhone or into a podcast app.
Keep the AVI if you need the video too, because converting to AAC throws away everything except the audio track, and there's no getting the picture back afterward.
Why not just use an online converter?
An AVI file can hold a home video, a recorded meeting, or footage you'd rather not send to a stranger's server just to pull the audio out of it. An online converter has to upload the whole video, sound and picture, before it hands you back an AAC. Converting on your own computer means the file, and whatever it shows, stays put.
Questions
Does converting AVI to AAC keep the video?
No. AAC is an audio-only format, so the picture is discarded and you're left with just the sound. If you need both, keep the AVI or convert it to another video format instead.
Does converting AVI to AAC lose quality?
The audio does go through lossy compression, so there's some quality loss, though at a reasonable bitrate it's hard to notice for speech or regular listening. If the AVI's audio was already low quality, converting won't improve it.
Will the AAC file play on an iPhone or Mac?
Yes. AAC is the format Apple uses by default for audio, so it plays natively on iPhones, Macs, and in most podcast and music apps without any extra software.
Can I convert AVI to AAC without uploading the video?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet extracts and converts the audio locally, so the video never travels over the internet. It works the same with your wifi turned off.
Why convert to AAC instead of another audio format?
AAC generally sounds better than older formats at the same file size, and it's the native audio format on Apple devices, so it's a natural pick if you're moving the sound to an iPhone or Mac.
Morphjet converts AVI, AAC, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.