# Getting AAC to work?

**URL:** <https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117>\
**Category:** Get Help\
**Created:** [March 4, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117 "2018-03-04T16:10:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Paul](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.libretime.org/paul/32/51_2.png) [@Paul](https://discourse.libretime.org/u/Paul)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117/1 "2018-03-04T16:10:07Z")

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So my test installation of LT is now working smoothly having sorted . …

BUTT connection issues  
Done the Silan fix  
Installed certbot so that DJ logins can be done under https

I want to use LT now to displace AT. Only niggling issue, and its stopping me switching over, is that streaming in AAC fails to work. Is this something to do with Liquidsoap ?

If there are any pointers as to how get AAC up and running on LT I would be keen to hear them.

Thx

Paul

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**Author:** ![robbt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.libretime.org/robbt/32/15_2.png) [@robbt](https://discourse.libretime.org/u/robbt)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 1:08pm UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117/2 "2018-03-06T13:08:57Z")

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Definitely related to Liquidsoap, not sure that the default liquidsoap provided by repositories provides AAC. I’m not sure if anyone has been able to get it working.

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**Author:** ![Paul](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.libretime.org/paul/32/51_2.png) [@Paul](https://discourse.libretime.org/u/Paul)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117/3 "2018-03-07T15:09:59Z")

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Thx robbt.

So an AT install does provide AAC that works. Is it workable (sensible?) to use the AT version of liquidsoap to access AAC and if so how would one go about that ?

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**Author:** ![JohnnyC1951](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.libretime.org/johnnyc1951/32/605_2.png) [@JohnnyC1951](https://discourse.libretime.org/u/JohnnyC1951)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117/4 "2018-03-23T22:10:56Z")

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If I remember from 2.5.2.1, I had trouble there too but solved it on that system. Looking at my old setup files, I had to create specific mount-points for all my streams and it then woke up. See the comments in /etc/icecast/icecast.xml Worth a go? This was for the _ **internal** _ AAC LS codec. AAC worked very well @96kbs stereo but AAC+ was like a Dalek in a trash can. NB. External LS plug-in support was not compiled into AT’s LS 1.1.1 Holler @ me on Skype, Paul.

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**Author:** ![leonardpg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.libretime.org/leonardpg/32/72_2.png) [@leonardpg](https://discourse.libretime.org/u/leonardpg)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 9:00pm UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117/5 "2019-01-10T21:00:15Z")

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has anyone else attempted to get AAC+ to work with liquidsoap/Libre Time? I’m trying it myself right now and I am wondering if there is any new information. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![robbt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.libretime.org/robbt/32/15_2.png) [@robbt](https://discourse.libretime.org/u/robbt)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:45am UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117/6 "2019-01-17T02:45:17Z")

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Not to the best of my knowledge. Feel free to share any issues that you run into here or on the github.

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**Author:** ![paddatrapper](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.libretime.org/paddatrapper/32/675_2.png) [@paddatrapper](https://discourse.libretime.org/u/paddatrapper)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2019, 8:30am UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117/7 "2019-01-18T08:30:20Z")

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It is possible to use AAC+ in liquidsoap by installing [libfdkaac-ocaml-dynlink](https://packages.debian.org/unstable/libfdkaac-ocaml-dynlink) from contrib in Debian or multiverse in Ubuntu. I haven’t tested this with LibreTime, but it should just work after a restart

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**Author:** ![robbt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.libretime.org/robbt/32/15_2.png) [@robbt](https://discourse.libretime.org/u/robbt)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 12:53am UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117/8 "2019-01-19T00:53:52Z")

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If anyone comes up with a solution and/or is able to test the contrib package @paddatrapper suggests for this there is an [open issue on Github](https://github.com/LibreTime/libretime/issues/185) that you can update.

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**Author:** ![hairmare](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.libretime.org/hairmare/32/38_2.png) [@hairmare](https://discourse.libretime.org/u/hairmare)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://discourse.libretime.org/t/getting-aac-to-work/117/9 "2019-01-22T01:20:04Z")

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You can switch liquidsoap to an OPAM install of liquidsoap 1.3.\* as described in [the liquidsoap docs](https://www.liquidsoap.info/doc-1.3.5/install.html) or install the testing (aka Buster) packages @paddatrapper pushed (along with the `libfdkaac-ocaml-dynlink` and `fdk-aac` packages from testing non-free).

You might also need to patch your LibreTime installation according to the instructions in [LibreTime/libretime#192](https://github.com/LibreTime/libretime/issues/192).

That should get you both AAC and HE-AAC (AAC+) since lots of fixing was recently done. Currently `%fdkaac` which supports both AAC standards only works for Icecast, SHOUTcast support should be working in 3.0.0-alpha.7. The old `%aac` and `%aacplus` encoders in liquidsoap are obsolete nowadays (in current liquidsoap 1.3.\*).

Given the “official” [statement](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.en.html#fdk) on [gnu.org](http://gnu.org) it doesn’t look like fdk-aac will have a rosy feature due to its GNU incompatibility. It’s to note that it depends on how you compile fdk-aac, you can disable features (like, I think, parametric stereo) that have active patents on them.

This leads to the situation where it really depends on what kind of HE-AAC you would like to use (ie. what [profile/version](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-Efficiency_Advanced_Audio_Coding#Versions), the bitrate, possible regulatory/provider concerns).  
Sadly, in most broadcast situations you are likely better off with a commercial encoder that gets the best quality out of your HE-AAC streams due to it including a version of the fraunhofer sdk better optimized for broadcast. AFAICT the fdk code is only open source due to google paying for it to be open for talk interop reasons, this version of the codec isn’t very geared towards broadcast usage.