APE to AC3 converter
Convert APE to AC3 in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your audio never leaves your device.
Last updated
Quick answer: To convert APE to AC3, add the APE file to the iHateFiles APE to AC3 converter and press Convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up, watermark or size limit. APE is a format most software has stopped opening. AC3 is not.
Should you convert APE to AC3?
Do this to make a lossless recording small enough to share or carry around. Keep the APE as the master copy.
APE is lossless and AC3 is not
This is the conversion lossy formats were designed for: from 5 to 7 MB per minute to 3 to 5 MB. At 192 kbps or more almost nobody can hear the difference in music. Keep the APE as your master if you might need to convert again.
Track details may not follow
APE carries artist, album and cover art tags well. AC3 has little or no room for them, so a music library that relies on tags may show the AC3 as an untitled file.
Where the AC3 will play
AC3 plays on DVD players, AV receivers and TVs.
APE and AC3 side by side
| APE | AC3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the file | Monkey's Audio | Dolby Digital |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Carries sound | Yes | Yes |
| One minute of stereo | 5 to 7 MB | 3 to 5 MB |
| Plays on | Needs converting first | DVD players, AV receivers and TVs |
| Here | Read only | Read and write |
What usually goes wrong
About the APE. APE to FLAC is lossless in both directions, so nothing at all is lost in making that swap.
About the AC3. Playing a 5.1 AC3 track on stereo speakers can leave dialogue almost inaudible, because the centre channel carrying it is not being mixed in. Downmixing to stereo during conversion fixes that.
How to convert APE to AC3
- Add your APE file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to AC3.
- Press convert and the AC3 file is saved back to your device.
Questions
How do I convert APE to AC3?
Open this page, add your APE file, and press convert. The file is decoded and re-encoded by your own browser and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Is this APE to AC3 converter free?
Yes, completely. There is no account, no sign-in, no watermark and no daily limit, because there is no server doing the work. Your own device does it.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. There is no upload endpoint. The conversion runs inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device. You can open your browser's network panel and watch: nothing carrying your file is sent.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Because the work happens on your machine there is no server quota. The only ceiling is your own device's memory, which for video means very large files may be slow.
Will converting to AC3 lose quality?
AC3 is a lossy format, so some detail is discarded. The quality control on this page decides how much. The default is set high enough that most people cannot see the difference.
Can I convert several APE files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.