AC3 file (Audio Codec 3)
Dolby Digital surround audio.
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Convert AC3 to MP3, free and without uploading it.
What is an AC3 file?
In short: An AC3 file (.ac3) is an audio file in the AC3 format. AC3 carries up to 5.1 channels of surround sound, and it is what DVD, Blu-ray and digital television use for their soundtracks. It can be converted to MP3, WAV or FLAC for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.
Dolby Digital, introduced in 1991 and used in cinemas from Batman Returns onwards.
AC3 carries up to 5.1 channels of surround sound, and it is what DVD, Blu-ray and digital television use for their soundtracks. It is designed for a receiver with speakers around a room rather than for headphones.
What AC3 is good at
- Proper 5.1 surround in a modest bitrate
- Supported by essentially every home cinema receiver
- The standard on DVD and broadcast television
Where AC3 falls short
- Inefficient by modern standards for stereo
- Not supported by browsers
- Licensing applies to encoders
When to use AC3
Use AC3 when a file is going to a home cinema system or a DVD. For headphones or a phone, convert to stereo AAC or Opus.
How to open an AC3 file
Home cinema receivers, DVD and Blu-ray players, VLC.
| Windows | VLC or Windows Media Player. AC-3 is the sound on most DVDs. |
|---|---|
| macOS | VLC. The Music app will not import it. |
| Linux | VLC or mpv. |
| Phone | VLC. |
| In a browser | No browser plays raw AC-3. |
The thing that usually goes wrong
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.
Not sure the file really is an AC3? Identify it by its contents, whatever its extension says.
Questions
What is an AC3 file?
AC3 stands for Audio Codec 3. Dolby Digital surround audio. Files use the .ac3 extension.
What does AC3 stand for?
AC3 stands for Audio Codec 3. It is better known as Dolby Digital.
How do I open an AC3 file?
On Windows: VLC or Windows Media Player. AC-3 is the sound on most DVDs. On a Mac: VLC. The Music app will not import it. On a phone: VLC. Or convert an AC3 here to a format that opens everywhere, free and without uploading it.
Can I convert AC3 for free?
Yes. Every conversion here is free and unlimited, because your own device does the work rather than a server we have to pay for.
Is AC3 lossless?
No. AC3 is a lossy format, so saving discards some detail to save space.