AU to OGA Converter
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Supports: AU
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Need help?AU to OGA Converter
AU (.au, also .snd) is the legacy Sun Microsystems audio format that became the de facto sound standard on Unix workstations and was common on NeXT systems and early web pages. OGA is the Ogg audio container; on this tool it carries Vorbis, an efficient open-source lossy codec. Converting AU to OGA replaces a 1990s-era container with a modern, royalty-free one that plays in nearly every current browser and open-source player — useful when you need small, web-friendly audio out of an old .au archive.
AU Format at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Creator | Sun Microsystems (also common on NeXT) |
| Extensions | .au, .snd |
| Header | 24-byte header (six 32-bit words), then audio data |
| Default encoding | 8-bit μ-law (G.711), 8000 Hz, mono |
| Other encodings | Linear PCM (8/16/24/32-bit), A-law, several ADPCM variants |
| Compression | μ-law/A-law are companding (logarithmic, lossy); PCM is uncompressed |
| Historical role | De facto Unix sound format; used in early Java AudioClip and web pages |
OGA (Ogg/Vorbis) at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Container | Ogg (maintained by Xiph.Org) |
| Codec here | Vorbis (lossy, royalty-free) |
| Extension rule | Xiph reserves .ogg for Vorbis; .oga covers other Ogg audio |
| Bitrate | Variable (typically ~64–320 kbps); quality-target encoding |
| Browser support | Chrome 4+, Firefox 3.5+, Edge 17+, Opera 10.5+; Safari full from 18.4+ (partial 14.1–18.3) |
| Best for | Small, open-format web audio and Linux/open-source players |
How to Convert AU to OGA
- Upload Your AU File: Drag and drop your
.auor.sndfile onto the page, or click "+ Add Files" to browse. You can queue several files and convert them in one batch. - Set Quality Preset or Bitrate: Open Advanced Options and pick a Quality Preset (Highest down to Lowest), or switch to Custom/Constant/Variable Bitrate to target an exact rate — lower bitrates make smaller files.
- Adjust Sample Rate or Channels (Optional): Leave Audio Sample Rate and Audio Channel on "Original" to preserve the source, or downmix to mono and trim to a clip if you only need a section.
- Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your OGA file. Files upload over an encrypted connection, are processed on our servers, and are deleted automatically after a few hours. No sign-up, no watermark.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an AU file and why convert it to OGA?
AU is a minimal audio format Sun Microsystems introduced for Unix workstations; it carries μ-law, A-law, or linear PCM audio in a 24-byte-header container. It is poorly supported in modern browsers and consumer apps, so converting to OGA (Ogg/Vorbis) gives you a small, open, web-playable file without proprietary licensing.
Will converting AU to OGA improve the audio quality?
No. A conversion can never add detail that was not captured. If your AU file is the common 8-bit μ-law, 8000 Hz telephone-grade recording, it is already low-fidelity, and Vorbis simply repackages that signal — it cannot restore lost bandwidth. If your AU is linear PCM, the Vorbis encode is lossy but efficient, trading a small, usually inaudible amount of quality for a much smaller file.
Should I use the .oga or .ogg extension for Vorbis audio?
Both hold the same Ogg/Vorbis data. Xiph.Org reserves .ogg for Vorbis for backwards-compatibility with older hardware players, and recommends .oga for other Ogg audio codecs. Vorbis is allowed in .oga, but some legacy players only look for .ogg. If a target device or app does not recognize the .oga file, use our AU to OGG converter for the .ogg extension instead.
Why won't my OGA file play in some apps?
Ogg/Vorbis has broad support in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and open-source players, but it is not natively handled by some older Apple desktop apps, and Safari only added full support in version 18.4. For the widest compatibility — older phones, car stereos, voice-note workflows — convert to MP3 with our AU to MP3 converter instead.
Can I keep the original sample rate and channel count?
Yes. Leave Audio Sample Rate and Audio Channel set to "Original" and the output matches the source — for example a mono 8000 Hz μ-law AU stays mono at 8000 Hz. You only change them if you deliberately want to resample or downmix.
Is there a lossless option instead of Vorbis?
OGA on this tool encodes Vorbis, which is lossy. If your AU is linear PCM and you want a bit-exact copy with no further quality loss, convert to FLAC instead with our AU to FLAC converter. Note that a μ-law AU is already lossy at the source, so a lossless target preserves it exactly but cannot recover the discarded detail.
Can I convert several AU files at once?
Yes. Add multiple .au or .snd files to the queue and they convert with the same Advanced Options settings. The main practical limit on a batch is total upload size and time over your connection, not a per-file count.
Is the conversion private?
Your files upload over an encrypted (TLS) connection, are processed on our servers, and are deleted automatically after a few hours. There is no sign-up, no watermark, and files are never shared or made public.
What bitrate or quality should I pick for the OGA?
It depends on the source. A typical .au is 8-bit μ-law at 8000 Hz — telephone-grade voice — so a low Vorbis quality setting already captures everything the file holds, and a high bitrate would only inflate the size without adding detail. If your AU is linear PCM music, a mid-to-high quality target (roughly 128–192 kbps equivalent) stays transparent to most listeners. When unsure, leave the Quality Preset on a middle setting and let Vorbis's variable-bitrate encoding size the file to the content.