The 5 Best Audio Converters in 2024 [Paid & Free]

Format incompatibility can lead to unexpected playback errors and cause an unhappy listening experience. Therefore, you may want to prepare an audio converter to prevent such a situation from happening. But when there are so many options provided online, you may feel confused and don't know which one to try. That's how this review can help.

In today's article, the 5 best audio converters will be recommended to help you convert local audio files or streaming music files to more formats, letting them playable on more devices without limitations. Now, keep reading and see what the choices are.

1. Fre:ac

Supported Systems: Windows, Mac, and Linux

To freely convert audio to different formats, Fre:ac can be one of the best options you can try. This software is well-compatible on different device systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, offering tens of mainstream output formats (MP3, M4A/AAC, FLAC, WMA, Opus, and more) that let you convert local files.

Fre:ac is also embedded with multiple CPU cores to reduce hardware consumption, which can boost faster conversion speed and ensure no-lag performance even when you are processing batch audio conversions simultaneously. This software can also help burn audio to CDs, letting you bring the music collections everywhere for playback flexibly.

2. VLC Media Player

Supported Systems: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android

Another recommended audio converter is VLC Media Player. Many of you may know this software as a common media player, but actually, it is equipped with more powerful functions such as the audio format converter, recorder, and even DVD ripper. It is equipped with all widely-supported formats such as MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, and more to select converting audio files in good quality.

More importantly, such hidden functions are completely free to use. Although the ripping efficiency can be a little slow and it doesn't support encrypted streaming media, it is still a convenient option when you get some local audio files to convert.

3. TuneFab All-in-One Music Converter

Supported Systems: Windows, Mac

Instead of converting local audio files to other formats, if you want a tool that can seamlessly help you download and convert DRM-protected streaming music (like Spotify's encrypted OGG files and Apple's protected M4P songs) to common audio files, TuneFab All-in-One Music Converter is definitely the one that can bring you help. This software supports several popular streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and so on. It directly embeds the web players, so you only need to select the platform and log in to choose music resources to convert to local audio files with several easy clicks.

The software can also save downloaded songs in lossless quality for you. Developed with acceleration technologies, it can speed up the batch download process to 35X or even faster! Even if you get lots to download, TuneFab All-in-One Music Converter will only take several minutes to complete for you! No matter when you need to convert Spotify to MP3 or unlock Apple Music's protected M4P songs, this software should be your best choice to consider.

4. Audacity

Supported Systems: Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix

Another free audio converter you can try without any cost should be Audacity. This software not only allows you to import and export audio, but also offers a powerful recording function to let you capture both system and external sounds on desktops with good quality. More than this, Audacity is equipped with a more professional built-in editor, allowing you to edit audio on the timeline with easy-to-use editing functions provided.

However, compared with its good-quality recording ability and helpful audio editing features, Audacity supports limited audio formats. If you want to export recordings or convert audios to other more popular encoders such as M4A, AC3, WMA, and so on, an extra file "auformat.dll" will need to be installed in Audacity's installation folder. Similarly, for audio to MP3 conversion, "lame_enc.dll" is needed. It would be a bit troublesome for beginners.

5. Zamzar

Supported Systems: All platforms

For any of you who want an online audio converter, Zamzar offers convenient help to convert local audio files to MP3, WAV, FLAC, MIDI, OGG, and more without installing software. No matter you are using a mobile phone or a laptop, directly turn to the website with a browser and then upload your audio files, it helps you convert to any selected format just within seconds!

To ensure a safe performance, Zamzar is encrypted with protection technologies, which will automatically detect all your uploaded audio files after completing the conversion. However, pay attention that the file sizes will be limited based on the different plans you select. For example, the basic plan only allows you to store 5G of files in total on the server.

The Bottom Line

After learning more details about the 5 best audio converters, you probably have an idea of selecting which one to try. For streaming media format conversion, TuneFab All-in-One Music Converter should no doubt be the best option with lossless quality and efficient conversion performance. Or you may try recording tools to capture the sounds. While for local file conversion, there are more options, including both free and professional recording tools to try. Now, just based on your needs, choose the suitable one to get started!