# Install aften with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, apt Audio encoder which generates ATSC A/52 compressed audio streams. Version 0.0.8 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-02. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:aften ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install aften ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install aften ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: audio/aften/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#aften ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/af/aften/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install aften ``` Evidence: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: aften from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:aften - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.0.8 - **Source summary:** Audio encoder which generates ATSC A/52 compressed audio streams - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-2.1-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-02T11:12:14-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - aften (cli) - wavfilter (cli) - wavinfo (cli) - wavrms (cli) - aften (alias) - wavfilter (alias) - wavinfo (alias) - wavrms (alias) ## Build dependencies - cmake ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.0.8 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-02 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://aften.sourceforge.net/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Aften is a command-line ATSC A/52 audio encoder for producing AC-3 streams, especially the kind used in DVD-Video workflows. The official homepage says the project began as a standalone command-line version of the FFmpeg AC-3 encoder and then accumulated functional, structural, and feature changes. ### Project history Aften's first versioned releases appeared in July 2006, according to the upstream changelog. Early work added command-line controls, multi-channel mapping, WAV input support, VBR adjustments, filters, a separate library/frontend split, and CMake builds. By the 0.06 and 0.07 releases in 2007, the project had added SIMD detection, SSE/SSE3 and Altivec-related optimizations, CMake shared-library support, dynamic range compression, C++ bindings, parallelization, and improved bit-allocation logic. The final homepage-era release is listed as 0.0.8, with command-line help identifying the 2006-2007 authorship period. ### Adoption history Aften came from the multimedia encoding world around FFmpeg, Doom9, Hydrogenaudio, and SourceForge-era development. The official homepage points users to an aften-devel mailing list, SourceForge bug reporting and git access, a Doom9 forum thread, and a project blog. The supplied package facts show Aften still carried by Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and Ubuntu. Its continued packaging is less about active upstream churn and more about keeping a small AC-3 encoder available for scripts and older media-tool workflows. ### How it is used The primary executable encodes WAV input to AC-3 output with options for bitrate, quality, threading, SIMD disabling, dialog normalization, dynamic range compression, stereo rematrixing, block switching, and other A/52 bitstream parameters. Companion utilities in the package facts include wavfilter, wavinfo, and wavrms. Aften is a package nerd's media tool because it is a small standalone encoder with a precise codec target. It is useful where a script wants AC-3 output without pulling in a larger transcoding workflow, but its upstream history is old enough that packagers usually care about build portability and whether SourceForge source links still resolve. ### Why package nerds care Aften represents the SourceForge multimedia era: a specialized codec tool, a CMake build, a small command-line frontend, and project communication spread across mailing lists, forums, and changelogs. Its package value is preservation and reproducibility more than rapid feature growth. The official repository still being reachable through SourceForge's code browser matters because the old homepage advertises a git clone URL using the git protocol, which is not suitable as a modern HTTP repository URL. ### Timeline - 2006: Version 0.01 first versioned release. - 2007: Version 0.07 added parallelization, bindings, and SIMD-related work. - 2007: Version 0.0.8 documented as the most recent release on the official homepage. - 2026: Supplied package facts still list Aften in Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and Ubuntu. ### Related projects - FFmpeg is the origin point named by the Aften homepage for the standalone AC-3 encoder. - ATSC A/52 is the bitstream specification Aften targets. - liba52 and MPlayer are linked from the official homepage as neighboring A/52 and media-tool projects. ### Sources - - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** aften - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - aften: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/af/aften/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - aften - 0.0.8+git20100105-0ubuntu4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: aften from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | audio AC3 encoder | http://aften.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - libaften-dev - 0.0.8+git20100105-0ubuntu4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libaften-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | audio AC3 encoder - development files | http://aften.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - libaften0 - 0.0.8+git20100105-0ubuntu4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libaften0 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | audio AC3 encoder - runtime files | http://aften.sourceforge.net/ - MacPorts - aften: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: audio/aften/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [jack](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jack/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [two-lame](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/two-lame/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, encoder, media. - [abcde](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/abcde/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [adplay](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adplay/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [adplug](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adplug/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [alsa-lib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alsa-lib/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [bandcamp-dl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bandcamp-dl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [carla](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/carla/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [cava](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cava/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [lame](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lame/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, encoder, media. - [id3lib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/id3lib/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, media. - [id3v2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/id3v2/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, media. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/aften.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/aften.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph