I'm paranoid. Help.

[XPowerWaveX]

If I convert my FLAC files to AAC 256kbps with ffmpeg on Audactiy, is ffmpeg basically the same quality as the iTunes encoder? Like is ffmpeg one of the best AAC exporting plugins? Or am I better off exporting my FLACs as 320kbps MP3?

Sorry if this sounds confusing, but I'm not an expert on this stuff.

[kozikowski]

FFMpeg is free, work-alike software.
iTunes uses real compression licenses, such as Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for MP3.

Koz

[XPowerWaveX]

FFMpeg is free, work-alike software.
iTunes uses real compression licenses, such as Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for MP3.

So does that make the quality outcome of iTunes encoder better?

[kozikowski]

Why are you converting your FLAC recordings to anything? Both AAC and MP3 are delivery formats. Deliver the product to the client or personal music player and full stop. Generally, no further editing or production is possible without some sound damage.

Koz

[kozikowski]

So does that make the quality outcome of iTunes encoder better?

There's discussion about that. Koz

[waxcylinder]

So does that make the quality outcome of iTunes encoder better?

There's discussion about that. Koz

I think the conversions are done quicker in iTunes (I export WAVs to ITunes and use iTunes to convert to AAC)

And it definitely makes it legal - I some jurisdictions the patents have not expired ...

WC

[XPowerWaveX]

Why are you converting your FLAC recordings to anything? Both AAC and MP3 are delivery formats. Deliver the product to the client or personal music player and full stop. Generally, no further editing or production is possible without some sound damage.

I don't have have a music player at the moment so I store all my music on my computer. I prefer not to use up my space with FLAC files that I could easily acquire later. I'm just wondering if ffmpeg would deliver less quality when exporting than most encoders.

So does that make the quality outcome of iTunes encoder better?

There's discussion about that. Koz

Eh, what?

[XPowerWaveX]

I'm guessing ffmpeg creates very good AAC files rivaling that of iTunes, since I haven't found anything on the web bashing it.

Sorry to bother I'm just a quality freak.

[waxcylinder]

To go back to your original question I think 256 is perfectly good.

When I had my first (smaller capacity iPod) after extensive listening tests on good kit I settled on 192 between space occupancy and audio quality - but I could detect minor compression artefacts in the sound if I listened hard. With my bigger iPod I now use AAc 256VBRand I can't tell the difference between those and the WAVs that are used to make them.

My son, who is a purist, insists on 320 - but then he has onerfilled his iPod ...

WC

[kozikowski]

Sorry to bother I'm just a quality freak.

Then leave them in FLAC. All compression techniques work by causing sound damage. The best you can do is minimize it. It never goes to zero.

If your local computer isn't up to the storage job, there are ways to use free cloud storage. People use thumb drives, some computers support recordable DVDs with 4GB a throw, etc.

Koz