How to create a AAC File for ringtones

[mlong30]

Hi All,

I'm trying to produce louder and better quality ringtones, and I've read where ringtones in AAC format have better sounding quality. But I can't seem to figure out which software will generate this AAC file. I currently have the following software but for some odd reason I can't create a AAC file. Do I need to have QuickTime Pro? I tried Maincept rendering audio only, and it didn't work on my Sony Ericsson phone.

Sony Vegas 8
Sound Forge 9
Audacity 1.3 Beta (Unicode)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Matt

[poisondeathray]

What is your input file format?

Some devices are limited to certain bitrates or sampling rates, check your manual for compatiblity, it might help to use mediainfo on an aac file that is proven to work to help identify characteristics

You can use lamexp, eac3to, megui, behappy, foobar2000, many more... most use the neroaac codec which can be downloaded from the nero site for free

[mlong30]

What is your input file format?

The following is a sample ringtone from my phone that works using MediaInfo. When I use SoundForge 9, it show it as a QuickTime AAC file.

General
Complete name : C:\Audio\RingTones\Samples\Beep.aac
Format : ADTS
Format/Info : Audio Data Transport Stream
File size : 5.99 KiB
Duration : 1s 569ms
Overall bit rate : 31.2 Kbps

Audio
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : LC
Muxing mode : ADTS
Duration : 1s 568ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 31.2 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Sampling rate : 22.05 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits
Stream size : 5.99 KiB (100%)



When I used LameXP with the NeroEncoder to AAC I receive the following after I rename the file ext from .mp4 to .AAC, quicktime doesn't recognize the file format, and my phone will not play it. This is the same results I get when I use Sound Forge or Sony Vegas.

General
Complete name : C:\AAC Files\HeyDJStereo.aac
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42
File size : 603 KiB
Duration : 37s 247ms
Overall bit rate : 133 Kbps
Track name : Hey DJ (Old School Mix)
Track name/Position : 1
Track name/Total : 0
Encoded date : UTC 2009-05-19 14:37:26
Tagged date : UTC 2009-05-19 14:37:26
Writing application : Nero AAC codec / 1.3.3.0
Comment : Encoded with LameXP
cdec : ndaudio 1.3.3.0 / -q 0.60

Audio
ID : 1
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 4
Format profile : LC
Format settings, SBR : No
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 37s 247ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 132.3 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 152 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : L R
Sampling rate : 22.05 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits
Stream size : 598 KiB (99%)
Encoded date : UTC 2009-05-19 14:37:26
Tagged date : UTC 2009-05-19 14:37:26

Menu
00:00:00.119 : Hey DJ (Old School Mix)

[poisondeathray]

You can't take an existing ringtone and make it better by re-encoding it. The re-encoding is lossy and only makes it worse. You need to start with a better source

You can try to emulate the specs from mediainfo with any of the programs listed. The pertinent info to try to emulate for compatibility with your phone is CBR, LC (low complexity), 1channel, <32kbps, 22.05Khz. Some may put the aac audio in a .mp4 container, so you could use yamb (mp4box) to extract the raw .aac audio

[jman98]

AAC is not some magical format that makes everything better. After all, this is simply a ring tone. It's been a while, but I have created my own ringtones and had them work on various Nokia phones. WAV format is lossless and while it will be larger than AAC, it will sound just as good or better. I remember converting my file to mono to save space. Note that your working ringtone is using a sampling rate of 22.05 KHz, which is less than ideal so any "advantages" you think that AAC is giving you are being lost with the lousy sampling rate. You should be able to create WAV files with your software, so maybe you can just do that to keep things simple instead of trying to work magic with AAC.

[t0nee1]

For some using AAC, and when conducting listening test(s) the results have shown makes more sense @ lower bitrate(s)...Which ever you choose and sounds best to you, decode the audio to wav with say--f2k and import in an editing app like Audacity...select the section you want as your ringtone and save as wav..Import in F2k or dBpoweramp etc and convert to AAC...

[poisondeathray]

Read what I wrote earlier, you can't just rename the extension, it's still in a .mp4 container. Use Yamb to extract the raw aac

You could also use eac3to or megui to encode directly to raw aac.

QT definitely recognizes it, I just tested it. Also you used non-similar specs, so there is a higher probablity your phone will reject it (try cbr, <32kbps, 1ch as mentioned above)

[t0nee1]

When encoding with say, Nero AAC Encoder, choose .m4a as the file extension output...

[mlong30]

When encoding with say, Nero AAC Encoder, choose .m4a as the file extension output...

I tried the .m4a extension, and it worked.

Thanks!

[mlong30]

You can't take an existing ringtone and make it better by re-encoding it. The re-encoding is lossy and only makes it worse. You need to start with a better source

I'm not using an existing ringtone, I'm using wav files I captured directly from my receiver to PC.

Some may put the aac audio in a .mp4 container, so you could use yamb mp4box to extract the raw .aac audio

I didn't know that a .mp4 file extension was considered a container, so thanks for the info. I now realize I can try this out with the current software I have on hand.

Thanks!