Recording streams to AAC

[KlumpDud]

Does anyone know if there's a software out there that can record streaming audio (Win or Real) to AAC? And is out for Windows? (The program Hijack Pro can do this, but it's only for Mac)

I've been looking and can't find one. If someone knows of one, I'd much appreciate it.

[KlumpDud]

I've already read everything on that site, and it lists no such program that can record to AAC. I'm currently us Replay Radio (which is pretty good) but it can only record to wav or mp3, not AAC. Anybody know?

[pam123]

AAC is Apples proprietary format and no one but Apple can use it ( Well you can try but your lawyers will end up talking to their lawyers) which is part of the reason SonyBMG installed that rootkit ( the rest of reason is the usual greed, stupidity, etc. .).
If you have iTunes you can use it play streaming audio, whether or not you can capture it will depend on the site you got it from.
iTunes gives you the option of capturing non-Apple audio in either mp3 (you get to set the bit rate) or AAC.
But, I repeat, there is no third party way to use AAC.

[SonicVanguard]

Pam, AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) hardly belongs to Apple. It was created by Fraunhofer IIS way back in 1997. Apple licenses the AAC codec from Fraunhofer IIS through their multimedia division Thomson. Other companies include Nokia, Motorola, Sanyo, Samsung and Sony-Ericsson (all for cell phones); Sony for the PSP; Epson from their Multimedia storage systems also licence the AAC codec either for decoding or encoding/decoding.

You are correct there there really isn't a decent third-party consumer application for encoding with AAC - unlike mp3, AAC is not a public licence so to use the encoder (not decoder), you've got to pay for it.

As for greed, stupidity, ect... - doing a bit of research before inserting one's foot in one's mouth usually takes care of any of that.

KlumpDud - record to mp3/wav and use iTunes to convert - problem solved.

[pam123]

Yeah, cell phones (itunes on your wireless) and psp do indeed have AAC support ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Coding) but if music is your thing you need Apple.
As for the guys at SonyBMG, the ones who so thoughtfully incuded a recommendation to e-mail Apple to lighten up on the licensing, I think they're beyond hope.

[KlumpDud]

Yes, there are programs. As I mentioned in my first post, Hijack Pro does exactly what I'm looking for. Just one problem: it's only for Mac.

Originally Posted by SonicVanguard KlumpDud - record to mp3/wav and use iTunes to convert - problem solved.

Thanks, but that's what I'm doing now and it's not efficient enough for me. That's why I'm trying to find a program that can record the streams as an AAC file.

Anyone have any knowledge in this area?

[Mac Medic]

Originally Posted by pam123 Yeah, cell phones (itunes on your wireless) and psp do indeed have AAC support ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Coding) but if music is your thing you need Apple. As for the guys at SonyBMG, the ones who so thoughtfully incuded a recommendation to e-mail Apple to lighten up on the licensing, I think they're beyond hope.

It wasn't the licensing of AAC they were talking about though, it was the FairPlay licensing, the DRM that is included in itunes music store songs. Any music player could support AAC if the manufactures wanted to, in the case of Sony i doubt it'll ever happen, they had a hard enough time allowing MP3, but not any player will be able to play Apple's protected AAC. It all seems a bit strange to me. AAC is the audio component of MPEG 4 as far as I'm aware, it was created by the same guys that created MP3 and was touted as the replacement to MP3, what happened there? And FairPlay isn't owned by Apple either, they license it from a 3rd party company so why couldn't other manufacturers go license it too? it's all pretty f'd up. On the bright side fairplay is easily removed on a Mac, for personal use only that is.

[pam123]

Yeah you're right.
I may have found part of an answer for KlumpDud though.
Go over to the MaximumPC site and order the back issue March 2005 or if you have a friend who subscribes ask to borrow his copy.
It's their digital how-to issue, it covers various solutions for recording.