MPEG-2 to AU Converter

MPEG-2 to AU Converter

MPEG-2 is a lossy video format from the DVD and digital-broadcast era (.mpeg / .mpg). AU (.au / .snd) is the Sun Microsystems audio format that became the de facto standard for Unix sound and was common on NeXT systems and early web pages. This tool extracts the audio track out of an MPEG-2 file and re-encodes it as AU; the video is discarded, so the output is sound only.

MPEG-2 Format at a Glance

AU Format at a Glance

AU has no native support in current web browsers, so most people convert it only to feed an old Unix toolchain, a SPARC-era application, or a workflow that still expects a .snd file. If you just want portable, widely playable audio, convert MPEG-2 to MP3 instead — MP3 plays everywhere and produces far smaller files. For an uncompressed, editable master, convert MPEG-2 to WAV.

How to Convert MPEG-2 to AU

1. Upload Your MPEG-2 File: Drag and drop your .mpeg or .mpg file, or click "Add Files." You can queue several files and convert them with the same settings.
2. Set Audio Sample Rate: Leave it on "Original" to keep the source rate, or pick a value like 8000 Hz for a telephony-style μ-law AU clip.
3. Set Audio Channel and Trim: Choose mono or stereo under "Audio Channel," and set a "Trim" start and duration if you only need part of the clip.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" to download your AU file. No sign-up, no watermark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does converting MPEG-2 to AU keep the video?

No. AU is an audio-only format, so the converter extracts just the audio track and discards the picture. If you need the video, convert MPEG-2 to a video format such as MP4 instead.

Will the AU file sound as good as the original?

The audio in an MPEG-2 file is already lossy (usually MP2 or AC-3), and re-encoding to AU cannot recover detail that the source never kept. If your AU is encoded as 8-bit μ-law at 8000 Hz, expect telephony-grade fidelity; a 16-bit linear PCM AU preserves more but produces a much larger, uncompressed file.

What opens an AU file?

VLC, Audacity, and foobar2000 all play .au files across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Many Unix and Java environments also read AU natively. Current web browsers do not, which is one reason MP3 or WAV is usually a more practical target.

Should I convert to AU or to MP3?

For general listening, sharing, or anything that plays on phones and browsers, MP3 is the better choice — it is far smaller and universally supported. Choose AU only when a legacy Unix application, a SPARC-era system, or an archival requirement specifically expects a .snd file.

What does the "Audio Sample Rate" setting do for AU output?

It controls how many samples per second the audio is encoded at. The classic Sun AU default is 8000 Hz, which suits voice and μ-law telephony clips; for music, keep the original rate (often 44100 or 48000 Hz) to avoid throwing away high frequencies. In our testing, dropping a music clip to 8000 Hz made cymbals and sibilance noticeably dull, so we only lower the rate for speech.

Is my file kept private?

Yes. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours. There is no sign-up, no watermark, and your files are never shared or made public.