Custom FFmpeg

AAX Audio Converter uses FFmpeg for audio conversion. You can customize the FFmpeg installation and configuration to suit your needs.

Requirements

• FFmpeg version 4.0 or higher
• Required codecs: AAC, MP3
• Required features: Chapter metadata support, Cover art extraction

Default FFmpeg

By default, the converter uses the FFmpeg binary found in your system's PATH. This is the recommended setup for most users.

Custom FFmpeg Path

If you have a custom FFmpeg installation, you can specify its path in your configuration:

// aax.config.ts
export default {
  ffmpegPath: '/path/to/your/ffmpeg',
}

FFmpeg Requirements

The converter requires FFmpeg with the following features:

• AAC encoder support
• MP3 encoder support
• Chapter metadata support
• Cover art extraction

Verifying FFmpeg Installation

You can check if your FFmpeg installation meets the requirements:

# Check FFmpeg version and features
ffmpeg -version

# Check for required codecs
ffmpeg -codecs | grep -E 'aac|mp3'

Installing FFmpeg

macOS

# Using Homebrew
brew install ffmpeg

# Using MacPorts
sudo port install ffmpeg

Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg

Windows

1. Download the FFmpeg build from gyan.dev
2. Extract the files
3. Add the bin directory to your PATH

Custom FFmpeg Builds

If you need specific features, you can build FFmpeg from source:

# Clone FFmpeg
git clone https://git.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.git ffmpeg
cd ffmpeg

# Configure with required features
./configure --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libfdk-aac

# Build and install
make
sudo make install

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with FFmpeg:

1. Check the FFmpeg version and features

2. Verify the FFmpeg path in your configuration

3. Ensure all required codecs are installed

4. Check the verbose output for FFmpeg errors:

   aax convert audiobook.aax -v

TIP

For most users, the default FFmpeg installation from your package manager will work perfectly.

WARNING

Custom FFmpeg builds may require additional dependencies and configuration. Make sure to test your build before using it with the converter.

Custom FFmpeg Options

The AAX converter allows you to customize FFmpeg settings for advanced users:

• Custom FFmpeg Path: Specify a custom path to the FFmpeg binary if it's not in your system PATH.
• Intermediate File Copy: Enable intermediate file copy for single file mode to improve conversion reliability.
• AAC Encoding for 44.1 kHz: Fix AAC encoding for 44.1 kHz to ensure compatibility with certain players.
• Variable Bit Rate: Apply variable bit rate for more efficient encoding.
• ISO Latin1 Encoding: Use ISO Latin1 encoding for m3u playlists if needed.