# Why is PLEX transcoding my audio to AAC?

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-transcoding-my-audio-to-aac/307114>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Created:** [September 11, 2018, 5:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-transcoding-my-audio-to-aac/307114 "2018-09-11T05:56:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![robertbroussard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@robertbroussard](https://forums.plex.tv/u/robertbroussard)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2018, 5:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-transcoding-my-audio-to-aac/307114/1 "2018-09-11T05:56:04Z")

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I was referencing a couple of small MKV files and I noticed that Plex Server said it was transcoding the audio to AAC… I’m sure that I would have never have chosen this action in any preferences… Why might this be happening?

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**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2018, 7:02am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-transcoding-my-audio-to-aac/307114/2 "2018-09-11T07:02:28Z")

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If you only watch your videos in the web browser, Plex server has no choice, because web browsers rarely support audio formats other than AAC, MP3, OOG, WAV  
This is particularly true for all those Surround Sound formats.

If you want to have Surround Sound in Plex, you need to use some other player, which can handle these formats, or can at least ‘bitstream’ them over a HDMI cable to your AVR.  
Plex Media Player is such a client (available for download below).

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**Author:** ![robertbroussard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@robertbroussard](https://forums.plex.tv/u/robertbroussard)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2018, 7:38am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-transcoding-my-audio-to-aac/307114/3 "2018-09-11T07:38:19Z")

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Thanks for the explanation. I guess the clips were DD (possibly 5.1 or just stereo?) where I was futzing with Plex server via safari… I guess my use of the browser forced the transcode. If I were to have used a proper player on Mac or Apple TV this would not have happened, right? Is there a place to see these transcoded files? I assume they are scratch files that could be deleted at anytime.

Thanks,

Robert

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**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2018, 7:45am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-transcoding-my-audio-to-aac/307114/4 "2018-09-11T07:45:43Z")

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These are file snippets, which contain only 1 or several minutes. They are deleted as soon as you press Stop.

They can be found in the ‘transcoder temporary folder’ inside the Plex data folder  
[https://support.plex.tv/articles/202915258-where-is-the-plex-media-server-data-directory-located/](https://support.plex.tv/articles/202915258-where-is-the-plex-media-server-data-directory-located/)

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2018, 7:45am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-transcoding-my-audio-to-aac/307114/5 "2018-12-10T07:45:43Z")

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