The Nero AAC encoder was once the Psytel AAC encoder. Its main developer, Ivan Dimkovic, sold all assets of Psytel Research to Ahead Software AG (later Nero AG) and started working there, tuning and improving the encoder, adding features such as SBR and parametric stereo, and overall turning it into one of the best AAC encoders of the time.

It started as a format choice in Nero's tools dealing with audio encoding and CD ripping, but demands from the public (and a few unofficial tools that used the encoder DLLs) led the developers to release a command line version of the encoder that could be used with any ripper, and even on Linux!

The decoder, on the other hand, was developed by Menno Bakker of MBsoft. Ahead bought the rights to the decoder, but it countinued being developed under a free software license, under the old name FAAD2. It is a high quality, accurate and fast decoder.

Nero still offers the AAC encoding option in their tools, but the standalone AAC encoder and decoder are no longer available for download. You can check a mirror of the old download page at the Internet Archive.


Date: 2010-02-18
Version: 1.5.4
Interface: Command line
Platform: Win32/Linux
Download: NeroAACCodec-1.5.4.zip - 2.003kB

Date: 2009-12-17
Version: 1.5.1
Interface: Command line
Platform: Win32/Linux
Download: NeroAACCodec-1.5.1.zip - 2.011kB

Date: 2008-09-17
Version: 1.3.3
Interface: Command line
Platform: Win32/Linux
Download: NeroAACCodec-1.3.3.zip - 1.775kB

Date: 2007-08-06
Version: 1.1.34.2
Interface: Command line
Platform: Win32/Linux
Download: NeroDigitalAudio-1.1.34.2.zip - 2.605kB
Kindly contributed by Michael Leimer

Date: 2007-02-13
Version: 1.0.7.0
Interface: Command line
Platform: Win32
Download: NeroAACCodec-1.0.7.0.zip - 1.046kB
Kindly contributed by Martin Wagner

Date: 2006-05-18
Version: 1.0.0.2
Interface: Command line
Platform: Win32
Download: NeroAACCodec-1.0.0.2.zip - 1.026kB
Kindly contributed by Martin Wagner