# Install faac with Homebrew, apk, apt, MacPorts, Nix, pacman ISO AAC audio encoder. Version 1.50 via Homebrew; verified 2026-04-16. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:faac ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install faac ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install faac ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: audio/faac/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add faac ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: faac from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install faac ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: faac from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/non-free/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#faac ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fa/faac/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S faac ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: faac from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:faac - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.50 - **Source summary:** ISO AAC audio encoder - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-2.1-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-04-16T09:24:32Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - faac (cli) - faac (alias) ## Build dependencies - meson - ninja ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.50 - Package-manager updated: 2026-04-16 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/knik0/faac - Upstream latest detected: faac-1.50 (current) ## Project history and usage FAAC, the Freeware Advanced Audio Coder, is an AAC encoder and library derived from ISO MPEG reference code and packaged as the `faac` command-line encoder plus libfaac. ### Project history The FAAC README states that FAAC is based on ISO MPEG-4 reference code and that FAAC project changes were placed under the GNU LGPL, with copyright for the project changes attributed to M. Bakker in 2001. The SourceForge project describes FAAC as an Advanced Audio Coder for MPEG-2 AAC and MPEG-4 AAC, with the goal of exploring AAC and exceeding the quality of the best MP3 encoders. The project has a long SourceForge-era history and a later GitHub mirror. The GitHub NEWS file records the mirror in 2017, while the current GitHub repository description calls it a mirror and points back to SourceForge as the homepage. Recent changelog entries show renewed maintenance after many years of incremental encoder work: 1.30 in 2019 included compilation fixes, cleanup, and a CVE-2018-19886 bounds check; 1.31 in 2025 added packaging and CI work; 1.40 in 2026 switched to Meson and removed old unmaintained build/plugin pieces; 1.50 in 2026 added additional encoder correctness, performance, and compliance fixes. ### Adoption history FAAC's adoption is shaped by the older open-source audio stack: it appears in Unix package managers as a command-line AAC encoder and library, useful for scripts and media transcode workflows even when newer encoders may be preferred in some quality or licensing contexts. The input package facts list FAAC in Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Ubuntu, MacPorts, Nix, and Arch, which reflects its persistence as a known AAC encoder package rather than a new end-user application. ### How it is used FAAC is used to encode AAC audio from the command line or through libfaac. Its build instructions now point to Meson and Ninja, and the executable is packaged as `faac`. Because the README includes a patent-royalty warning, downstream users and packagers traditionally treat FAAC as both a useful codec tool and a package with legal/licensing context to understand before redistribution or product use. ### Why package nerds care FAAC is package-nerd significant because it is one of the old codec packages that exposes the messy boundary between standards, reference code, free-software licensing, patents, command-line tooling, and distro policy. Its recent maintenance is also interesting: a legacy autotools-era multimedia package moved toward Meson, CI, Windows artifacts, hidden symbols, and encoder correctness work while keeping the familiar `faac` CLI name. ### Timeline - 1997: Underlying ISO MPEG reference-code notice dates the base software module. - 2001: FAAC project changes are attributed to M. Bakker under the LGPL notice in the README. - 2017: GitHub mirror noted in the NEWS file. - 2019: FAAC 1.30 released with cleanup, compilation fixes, and CVE-2018-19886 bounds checking. - 2025: FAAC 1.31 and 1.31.1 refresh build, CI, pkg-config, and Windows artifact support. - 2026: FAAC 1.40 adopts Meson and removes legacy unmaintained build/plugin code. - 2026: FAAC 1.50 adds encoder correctness, bitrate, SIMD, and standards-compliance fixes. ### Related projects - FAAD2 is the historically adjacent AAC decoder project. - ISO MPEG-2 AAC and MPEG-4 AAC reference code forms the base context documented by FAAC. - LAME, Ogg Vorbis, and other command-line audio encoders occupy neighboring package-manager workflows. ### Sources - - - - - - ## 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:** faac - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - faac - 1.31.1+dfsg-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: faac from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/non-free/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | AAC audio encoder (frontend) | https://github.com/knik0/faac - Debian apt - libfaac-dev - 1.31.1+dfsg-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfaac-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/non-free/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | AAC audio encoder (development) | https://github.com/knik0/faac - Debian apt - libfaac0t64 - 1.31.1+dfsg-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfaac0t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/non-free/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | AAC audio encoder (library) | https://github.com/knik0/faac - Nix - faac: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fa/faac/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - faac - 1.30-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: faac from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/multiverse/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | AAC audio encoder (frontend) | https://github.com/knik0/faac - Ubuntu apt - libfaac-dev - 1.30-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfaac-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/multiverse/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | AAC audio encoder (development) | https://github.com/knik0/faac - Ubuntu apt - libfaac0 - 1.30-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfaac0 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/multiverse/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | AAC audio encoder (library) | https://github.com/knik0/faac - apk - faac - 1.31.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: faac from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | FAAC is an AAC audio encoder. | https://faac.sourceforge.net/ - apk - faac-dev - 1.31.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: faac-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | FAAC is an AAC audio encoder. (development files) | https://faac.sourceforge.net/ - apk - faac-doc - 1.31.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: faac-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | FAAC is an AAC audio encoder. (documentation) | https://faac.sourceforge.net/ - apk - faac-static - 1.31.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: faac-static from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | FAAC is an AAC audio encoder. (static library) | https://faac.sourceforge.net/ - pacman - faac - 1.50-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: faac from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Freeware Advanced Audio Coder | https://github.com/knik0/faac - MacPorts - faac: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: audio/faac/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. - [meson](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/meson/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ninja](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ninja/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [darkice](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/darkice/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [gstreamer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gstreamer/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [faad2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/faad2/) - Shares the same upstream homepage. - [flake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flake/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, audio-encoder, cli, codec, media. - [flac](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flac/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, codec, media. - [lame](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lame/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, mpeg. - [libdca](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libdca/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, codec, media. - [madplay](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/madplay/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, mpeg. - [tta](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tta/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, codec, media. - [two-lame](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/two-lame/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, codec, media. - [vimpc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vimpc/) - 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/faac.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/faac.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