Converting mp3 to AAC for mobile use - how to make files smaller?

Barno · 20 Jul 2007 at 13:23

Hi,

when I use the Nokia Music Manager to transfer music to my N95 it converts my mp3 files to AAC at 128kbps thereby compressing a 6mb file down to 1.7mb. I'd like to replicate this for my entire collection so I can stream some music when I'm on the move without hitting vodafones measly 120mb cap. However, when I try to convert a 6mb mp3 to AAC using dbpoweramp at a constant bitrate of 128kbps the file ends up around 4mb. Is there a way of compressing it further? And how come Nokia Music Manager gets it down to 1.7mb when dbpoweramp only manages 4mb? What am I doing wrong?

Cheers.

nade · 20 Jul 2007 at 16:18

You could try a program called "Super". I've used it to convert video files before, plus it's free.

It also supports music files and has a massive list of supported files.

Can be downloaded from this link

Only reason I've added the download link is the site is a little confusing and at first I struggled to find the link.

kirbz · 20 Jul 2007 at 16:30

if you don't use headphones with it then make them mono, that will half it.

Energize · 20 Jul 2007 at 18:20

v0id said:
Hi,

when I use the Nokia Music Manager to transfer music to my N95 it converts my mp3 files to AAC at 128kbps thereby compressing a 6mb file down to 1.7mb. I'd like to replicate this for my entire collection so I can stream some music when I'm on the move without hitting vodafones measly 120mb cap. However, when I try to convert a 6mb mp3 to AAC using dbpoweramp at a constant bitrate of 128kbps the file ends up around 4mb. Is there a way of compressing it further? And how come Nokia Music Manager gets it down to 1.7mb when dbpoweramp only manages 4mb? What am I doing wrong?

Cheers.

You need to lower the bitrate to 96Kbps.

The nokia music manager can't be using 128kbps if it shrinks the file that much, even vbr wouldn't do that.

kirbz said:
if you don't use headphones with it then make them mono, that will half it.

That only works with uncompressed, aac and mp3 analyse both channels and remove redundant data.

Barno · 20 Jul 2007 at 18:31

Thanks for the replies. I figured out that Nokia Music Manager was actually using HE AAC v2 to shrink the file down to a bitrate of around 44kbps. Tbh it sounds ok to me so thats what I'll be going for. Unless anyone could recommend a comparable (in size) format that offers better quality? (must be N95 compatible)

Energize · 20 Jul 2007 at 18:40

v0id said:
Thanks for the replies. I figured out that Nokia Music Manager was actually using HE AAC v2 to shrink the file down to a bitrate of around 44kbps. Tbh it sounds ok to me so thats what I'll be going for. Unless anyone could recommend a comparable (in size) format that offers better quality? (must be N95 compatible)

Thats pretty much the best you will get. The nokia won't support bettter formats like ogg. If 45kb/s sounds ok to you though, I would get better headphones.

Barno · 23 Jul 2007 at 12:32

Is ogg smaller than HE AAC?

Energize · 23 Jul 2007 at 18:37

v0id said:
Is ogg smaller than HE AAC?

It completley depends on what bitrate you encode it at. It really doesn't matter at anything below 64Kb/s, they tend to sound the same then.