Open ADTS File

The Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (ADTS) stands for Advanced Digital Television Service. It is a container format that specifically contains raw AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) audio streams. Raw AAC streams support lossless encoding thus can store audio data without sacrificing quality. These files are commonly seen with extensions like .aac, .adts etc.

Usage in Audio Streaming

One of the most common applications of ADTS format files is in streaming audio data. Accentuated by their excellent compatibility with lossless encoding, ADTS files are very efficient for live streaming events where audio data is delivered over the internet in real time. Most of the streaming platforms or media players like VLC Media Player or Foobar2000 can natively support and play ADTS files.

Usage in Digital Television

As part of the MPEG-2 Part 7 (Advanced Audio Coding - AAC) standard, ADTS format is used in the broadcasting industry, especially in digital television. It is a wrapper format for AAC data, allowing the stream to maintain a series of independent frames. This allows for more flexibility and robustness in the broadcasting chain. It allows the broadcasters to recover quickly from errors, ensuring the best quality possible. Some common tools used for dealing with ADTS in this context include MediaCoder and ffmpeg.

ADTS File Important Information

ADTS file usage requires some prior knowledge for optimal performance. Foremost, it is necessary to understand that ADTS files are primarily used as a container for AAC audio data, and thus, are not usually meant to be opened or used on their own. These files are designed to be read and played by media players or used in live stream broadcasting.
Should you encounter trouble opening ADTS files, a few steps could be considered. Firstly, check to make sure that your software is up-to-date. Most modern media players can natively support ADTS files.
If the problem persists, converting the files into another audio format like MP3 or WAV would be another option. There are several freeware or online services like Convertio or Zamzar available for converting audio files.

How to open ADTS files

Typical ADTS application file locations:

  • C:\Program Files (x86)\QuickTime\QuickTimePlayer.exe "%1"
  • "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" /prefetch:6 /Play "%L"

Typical ADTS mime types:

  • audio/aac

Frequently used application names to open ADTS files:

Frequently associated Windows objects:

  • QuickTime.adts
  • WMP11.AssocFile.ADTS

Related extensions