mp3
MPEG-1 Audio Layer III
The most compatible lossy audio format there is. Plays on anything with a speaker.
Convert MP3 to AC3
Free, no account, no watermark. Converted on our servers, then deleted.
Drop an MP3 file here
As many as you like. We will show you what they convert to.
How to convert MP3 to AC3
- 1
Choose your file
Drop an MP3 file onto the converter, or pick one from your device. You can add several at once.
- 2
Select AC3
Pick AC3 as the output format. Open Settings if you want to control the audio codec, the audio bitrate, and the sample rate, and 2 more.
- 3
Download the result
Convert and download the finished file. No account, and nothing to install.
ac3
Dolby Digital
The surround format on DVDs and broadcast television. Usually arrives as a track pulled out of a disc rip rather than as a file somebody chose.
MP3 to AC3, asked and answered
Does converting MP3 to AC3 lose quality?
Yes. MP3 has already discarded some detail and AC3 discards more, because re-encoding starts from what survived the first pass rather than from the original. If you need every detail kept, convert to WAV instead.
Can I convert the AC3 back to MP3?
Yes, and the file will open — but a round trip is not free. Each pass re-encodes, so going MP3 to AC3 and back leaves you with less than you started with.
What can I change about the AC3 it produces?
You can set the audio codec, the audio bitrate, the sample rate, mono or stereo, and where it starts and stops. Anything left on Auto is decided by the encoder, which is usually the right answer unless you are targeting a specific size or device.
Where does the conversion happen?
On our server. The file is sent over HTTPS and converted in a sandbox with no network access of its own; your input and the result go together, removed at once if it fails and otherwise kept for a few minutes so you can download them, then deleted — whether or not you did. There are no accounts for anything to be kept against.
Is there a limit on file size?
Yes — there is a per-file cap and an hourly job limit, because this runs on one small server. The API page states the limits currently in force rather than a number baked into this page.