People from all over the world share video and audio files everyday. We are constantly consuming media and sharing it with friends. I often run into the problem of coming across a video or audio file that I cannot play due to the file type, or bitrate, etc. So I need to convert it. Their are a lot of converters both online and offline out there. But many of them either do not work or are so complicated that the average user will just get frustrated and give up. So in this article my goal is to show you my favorite converter software and web apps to help you with this ever present problem.

I prefer offline solutions the most since it saves time from having to upload my file to someone else’s server, wait for them to convert it, then cache it, and finally give me my file. So let’s look at some free and paid options available to you.
SUPER is my favorite free conversion software. It is a bit intimidating at first but once you get the hang of it it comes in very handy. SUPER will convert any audio or video to virtually any format you like. The thing I like most about it is that it will let you pick the specific bitrate you would like it to use and the specific codec you would prefer. This can increase quality and decrease the potential file size by a lot. I would recommend this software for the more advanced user or hobbyist.
My next suggestion is Roxio’s Easy Video Copy & Convert. Roxio has a much more simplified solution for your problem. It is very easy to use and has most of the more popular codecs preinstalled. It limits the choices you can make for each specific conversion, but that will save you time and it simplifies the process tremendously. The software is not free, but is also not expensive. It will only cost you $29.99 directly from Roxio’s site.
Now I am going to tell you about two online options that you can use to convert your favorite files.
My favorite online converter for audio files is Media.io It is super simple and still allows you to have some say in how your audio is converted. It will convert any audio file to MP3, WAV, OGG, or WMA. They also give you simple to understand bitrate options. After you have told them what you would like you just hit convert and you are done.
For converting video online I highly recommend OnlineVideoConverter.com It is similar to Media.io in its simplicity and options and no matter what country you are in you can get started converting video. And the site is not cluttered in ads, which is always nice.