Q: I have purchased some audiobooks from Audible, but the default AAX files are not recognized by VLC media player. When I import Audible media files into VLC, it shows that the files are corrupted or not supported. Is it possible to play Audible files on VLC player?
VLC media player is one of the most commonly used audio players on the market, however, it does not support files in the special AAX format. Nevertheless, there are ways to solve this problem. In this article, you will find an effective way to play Audible in VLC for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Read on to find out more about Audible VLC.
Part 1. Can VLC Play AAX Files
In general, Audible audiobooks are saved in AA/AAX format with digital rights management. They are only playable in the official Audible app. To put it simply, AAX is highly incompatible with other audio devices, players and programs, including VLC.
Does VLC media player convert Audible files? Can VLC convert AAX to MP3? Unfortunately, VLC can only convert unprotected Audible files. In order to play VLC AAX files without any problems, you need to convert Audible to any format compatible with VLC media player, such as MP3, FLAC, etc. Please refer to the formats supported by VLC media player below.
| VLC Supported Input Media | UDP/RTP Unicast, UDP/RTP Multicast, HTTP / FTP, MMS, TCP/RTP Unicast, DCCP/RTP Unicast, File, DVD Video, Video CD / VCD, SVCD, Audio CD (no DTS-CD), DVB (Satellite, Digital TV, Cable TV), MPEG encoder, Video acquisition. |
| VLC Supported Input Formats | MPEG (ES,PS,TS,PVA,MP3), AVI, ASF / WMV / WMA, MP4 / MOV / 3GP, OGG / OGM / Annodex, Matroska (MKV), Real, WAV (including DTS), Raw Audio: DTS, AAC, AC3/A52, Raw DV, FLAC, FLV (Flash), MXF, Nut, Standard MIDI / SMF, Creative™ Voice. |
Part 2. How to Get VLC to Play Audible - Tool Needed
To get Audible AAX VLC to work together, you need to remove all format restrictions on Audible AA and AAX files first. And AudFree Audible Converter will be a great helper as it specializes in converting Audible to universal formats such as MP3, AAC, FLAC, etc. This way, VLC media player can recognize and play unprotected Audible books without any problems.
After conversion, it retains the lossless audio quality and ID3 tags of Audible books. To personalize the output Audible files, you are allowed to split Audible audiobooks by chapter, segment or time. In addition to Audible audiobooks, it also supports downloading and converting Apple Music and iTunes audio.
Key Features of AudFree Audible Converter
- Batch convert Audible AAX to MP3, AAC, FLAC, etc. or VLC player
- Split Audible audiobooks by chapter or time period
- Download Audible books for offline playback on VLC media player
- Keep 100% lossless quality, ID3 tag info and metadata
How to Convert Audible Books for VLC
- Step 1Import Audible Audiobooks to AudFree Auditior
- Launch AudFree Audible Converter and click on the first Add button in the bottom left corner to import your Audible files from your computer. You can also drag and drop Audible books into the main interface of this converter directly.
- Step 2Set Audible Output Format for VLC
- Click on the Format button in the bottom right corner, you can set the Audible file to a format supported by VLC, such as MP3. Alternatively, you can adjust other Audible parameters such as codec, channel, bit rate, sample rate.
- Step 3Edit and Split Audible Books
- Hit on the Edit icon to the right of Audible track, you can split the audiobook by duration or chapter. You can also use the built-in editing features to change ID3 tags such as title, album, artist, etc. Tap the Effect button and it will come to adjust the speed, volume and pitch of Audible book.
- Step 4Convert Audible books for VLC
- Tap the large Convert button on the right and it will automatically convert Audible AAX audiobooks to VLC-supported format. Once the conversion is complete, the Audible audio will be saved on your computer locally. You can check the converted Audible files by clicking on the Converted button.
Part 3. How to Play Audible Books with VLC Media Player
Congratulations! Now you're ready to stream Audible books to VLC. Let's see how to send audio output from Audible to VLC media player on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
For Mac/Windows
Step 1. Launch VLC Media Player on your computer.
Step 2. For Mac, select File > Open File from the menu bar. For Windows, select Media > Open Folder.
Step 3. Locate the converted Audible file and import it to VLC for offline playback at any time.
For iOS
Step 1. Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to your computer. Open the iTunes application and select iPhone on the menu bar.
Step 2. Click on the Apps section in the left sidebar and continue to select VLC Media Player.
Step 3. Locate the converted Audible audiobook on your computer, then drag and drop the file into the VLC Documents.
Step 4. You can start playing Audible books on VLC on your iPhone.
For Android
Step 1. Transfer the converted Audible file to your Android phone from your computer using a USB cable.
Step 2. Launch the VLC Media Player app on your mobile device and click on "Network" at the bottom.
Step 3. Select 'Cloud Services' > 'Google Drive' or any other cloud service you are using.
Step 4. Add local Audible files to your VLC media player.
Part 4. Final Thoughts
That's all there is to playing Audible files on VLC player. With the assistance of AudFree Audible Converter, you can convert Audible AAX to VLC-supported format in lossless quality. In turn, you can transfer Audible to VLC media player or other platforms for streaming.
Ivan Scott
Staff Editor
