MP1 to MP2 Converter

What happens when you convert MP1 to MP2

• The audio is decoded and written as MPEG Layer II at 192 kbps.
• Going from one lossy format to another adds a small generation loss. Choose a bitrate at least as high as the source to keep it inaudible.

How to convert MP1 to MP2 online

1. Press "Choose MP1 files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
2. Adjust the settings if you need to: the bitrate controls quality and size. The defaults suit most people.
3. Press "Convert to MP2". The first audio or video conversion downloads the converter engine, about 32 MB, which your browser then keeps for next time.
4. Save each MP2 with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.

Why convert MP1 to MP2?

MP1 files usually come from Digital Compact Cassette recordings, early digital audio systems and test files. People convert them to MP2 because MP2 is still used by broadcast playout systems and DAB radio.

In short, MP1 is good at what it was made for, and MP2 is the more practical choice when the file has to play on another device or app. MP1 does not play in most browsers; VLC, foobar2000 and players built on ffmpeg play it, while MP2 plays in most desktop players; browser support is patchy.

How to convert MP1 to MP2 on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

On Windows

Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your MP1 files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each MP2 is saved to your Downloads folder. If you prefer a desktop program, VLC can also convert MP1 to MP2: choose Media, then Convert / Save.

On a Mac

Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the MP1 files from Finder onto the drop zone and the MP2 files land in Downloads.

On iPhone and iPad

Open the page in Safari and tap Choose MP1 files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted MP2 appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.

On Android

Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose MP1 files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The MP2 is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it. Keep the screen on while a long video converts, because Android may pause a tab in the background.

Best settings for MP1 to MP2

MP2 is a lossy format, so the bitrate decides both the sound quality and the file size. Size grows in a straight line with bitrate: double the bitrate and the file doubles.

The MP1 was already compressed, so pick a bitrate at least as high as the original. Going higher does not add quality back, it only makes the file bigger.

MP1 vs MP2: the differences

About MP1 and MP2 files

What is an MP1 file?

Layer I is the simplest of the three MPEG-1 audio layers, easy to encode but needing more bitrate than MP2 or MP3 for the same sound. Philips used a version of it on the Digital Compact Cassette, and few programs write it today.

What is an MP2 file?

MP2 predates MP3 and is still the audio format of European digital radio and many TV broadcasts. It needs more bitrate than MP3 for the same quality, but it is simpler to decode.

MP1 to MP2 not working? Common problems

• The conversion is slow. Audio and container changes take seconds, but re-encoding video runs on your own processor. Lower the resolution to 720p, close other tabs, and keep the device plugged in.
• The tab stops or reloads on a very large file. Browsers limit how much memory one tab can use, around 2 GB and less on phones. Split long recordings or convert them on a computer.
• Song titles are missing. Tags such as title and artist are copied when MP2 can store them, but cover art is not carried over.

Convert MP1 to MP2 with ffmpeg

This converter runs ffmpeg inside your browser. If you would rather use the ffmpeg command line on your own computer, this command produces an equivalent MP2 with the same kind of settings:

ffmpeg -i input.mp1 -vn -c:a mp2 -b:a 192k output.mp2

Replace input.mp1 with the name of your file. For a whole folder of MP1 files, run the command in a loop, or drop them all on the converter above, which processes them one after another.