If you were an Audible audiobooks lover, you know audible aax format much, but you must rarely know AAXC. What is audible aaxc? Why does audible use this new format? Is it possible to download audible AAXC to mp3 format so that I can backup them? In this article, I’m going to show you the best answer.

Let’s get started with an important question.

What is an Audible AAXC file?

The common format of Audible audiobooks is AAX, but things have changed since June 2019 because Audible transferred AAX to AAXC if the audiobook was downloaded via Audible app on portable devices.

Exactly speaking, at present, the new format AAXC is only applied to the audiobook downloaded from the Audible android and ios app. Files we downloaded from Windows and Mac computers are still in AAX format.

The AAXC container format is the same as the already supported Audible AAX format but it uses a different encryption scheme. This means the aaxc format will not influence the way you listen to Audible online. However, this makes it even harder to transfer audible files to other non-Audible devices for offline listening.

For most audiobooks’ lovers and collectors, it is also getting hard to back up or keep their favorite audiobooks as a private collection.

How to tell if an audible file is in AAXC and where is it stored?

Audible audiobooks downloaded via the new Audible app are now saved in AAXC format. This also means that from June 2019, if you update your Audible app to the latest version(version 2.64.0 as of November 2020), the downloaded Audible audiobooks are saved in the .AAXC format.

The aaxc files we downloaded via audible android app are stored at this location:
\Internal storage\Android\data\com.audible.application\files

Someone tried to rename the extension from .aaxc to .aax as he guessed this may help avoid the new format. Please DON’T rename aaxc extension as the original file type can’t be changed unless we use conversion tools.

So, is it possible to break and convert audible aaxc books?

When searching “how to convert aaxc to mp3”, from the top 1 page result we will find some tools that say they support this conversion, but in fact they don’t!

I’m not to say they are bad, I mean they are great audible aax to mp3 converters but they can’t directly break aaxc files.

There is no specific AAXC to MP3 converter in the market until iSummersoft Audible Converter comes out. It’s the first and unique programme which works on audible AAXC format decoding itself.

(iSummersoft works on Windows and Mac computers, Catalina and Big Sur also included.)

Method to convert AAXC to MP3 via iSummersoft

iSummersoft Audible Converter is specially developed for Audible users to crack DRM from Audible audiobooks and convert Audible aaxc/aax files to DRM-free mp3/m4b format files (while keeping chapters).

But as what I’ve stressed at part1, as the encryption logic of aaxc is different from the one of aax, so the aaxc format breaking will be harder than ever.

Requirements of breaking aaxc files if using iSummersoft:
1. One rooted Android device(phone or tablet);
2. AAXC format audio books downloaded via audible android app;
3. iSummersoft Audible Converter for Windows or Mac.

Step 1. Root your Android device first.

Open the Audible app and sign in. Tap the menu button (3 lines) at the top left corner of the screen.

Tap Library -> Titles -> All.

Tap on the cover art of the audiobook you would like to download. The title will start to download.

You can also read this article to learn more on downloading audible titles.

How to Download Audible Books to PC/MAC/Android/Kindle – iSummerSoft

Step 3. Find .aaxc, .voucher, and map_data_storage_v2.db file.

Three types of files you need to find: .aaxc, .voucher, map_data_storage_v2.db.

Ensure we can locate the needed files, connect your Android to Win or Mac computer via USB please.

Use USB to transfer files from Android to your computer and locate those files. On my computer, I find them here:

.aaxc file: “/Android/data/com.audible.application/files”

.voucher file: “/data/data/com.audible.application/files/vouchers/”

.database file: “/data/data/com.audible.application/databases/”

Then try to search and find 3 types of files on your rooted Android device, keep in mind that you should paste them at one folder.

Searching for the aaxc files on android is not difficult, but finding another 2 types of files is nearly impossible unless we root the android. That’s also why we tell you to root the device at step 1.

By default, one aaxc file will also have a corresponding voucher file. I mean one audible file will also generate a voucher file when the book is downloading. They are with the same ASIN.

And the map_data_storage_v2.db file is generated while you register your audible android app. This means, you just need to copy this file once. The next time you want to convert other aaxc files, find the voucher files and aaxc files please, no need to find this database file again. But if you switch your audible account, you should try to find it again.

Note: Connecting Android to Mac without USB? Use Airmore to help transfer files from android to mac computer please. This tiny tool really helps us a lot.

Step 4. Add AAXC to iSummersoft and convert AAXC to MP3.

Now you can directly add those aaxc files into the main interface of iSummersoft tool.

Note: In steps 3 you should place those aaxc files in the same folder as the voucher and map_data_storage_v2.db files. Because the vouch file and database file information are used to decode the new aaxc format. But once you place them in one place well, in this step you just need to add the AAXC files to isummer. In other words, in this step you only need to add aaxc files, no need to add the voucher file and database file.

Step 5. Convert AAXC to MP3 (with chapter splitting).

Before the aaxc to mp3 changing, you can click on “Settings” and choose “Split by chapters” function activated.

Then, choose “MP3” as output format, convert. Waiting for the conversion until it’s completed.

From the output folder, you will find that the chapter name of the converted file is the same as the original audible audiobook.

Above method is hard to use, any other solutions?

Currently, all the aax2mp3 converters (desktop apps, online tool, inaudible, OpenAudible) don’t support AAXC format except iSummersoft Audible Converter. Though we’re the first one who makes this progress, we admit that it’s not so easy to follow and the requirements are a little strict.

If you mind rooting your device, DON’T try.

If you think it hard to follow, DON’T try.

Walkaround solution 1. Convert audible.com aax files to mp3 (100% functions)

For now Audible only uses the new aaxc format in audible android files. If we download audiobooks from audible.com on Windows or Mac computer, the downloaded file will be still in AAX format, not the AAXC. Nearly all of the converters will support them, iSummersoft included.

How to download Audible books on the computer? Go to audible.com in a browser and select “Library”, locate the desired audiobook and select “Download”, you’ll then see the download notification pop up.

Once it’s finished downloading, you’d be able to open the file.

Then you can directly drag those downloaded AAX files into iSummersoft Audible Converter. It supports converting aax to mp3 with high speed.

You can also split audible aax into chapter when converting aax to mp3, then start the to mp3 conversion.

This is the simplest walkaround solution to the aax in mp3 umwandeln. It works directly on AAX format, avoiding the aaxc format ripping.

Walkaround solution 2. Use an older version of audible app? (Not works)

Audible started to use the new aaxc format in June 2019, then I guess if I use an older version of this app that they released in May 2019, maybe I will get an aax file instead of an aaxc format.

I then picked up this version, v2.36.0, from the Audible for Android older version download page at UptoDown, and downloaded it to my android.

But after I installed it and tried to register, the audible app forces me to “Update in Store”.

It seems like we’re unable to use an older version of audible app to avoid the aaxc format audiobooks.

Walkaround solution 3. Convert aaxc to mp3 online? (Not available)

Here I tried 2 famous audible2mp3 online converters, ACONVERT.COM and Audio Converter Online.

After I add one aaxc format file to ACONVERTER.COM, and click on “Convert now”, the conversion lasts 30 minutes but nothing happens.

And after I add the same aaxc file to online-audio-converter.com, it helps adding 67% and stops running suddenly, then about 5 minutes later it pops up a new window that says “this file type is not supported”.

Editor’s note

Ultimately, converting audible to mp3 android in 2020 will rely on a rooted android or the walkaround solution 1. Neither is perfect but we don’t have better choices because the aaxc decoding is really a challenge to technicians.

The good news is that, more than 1 year later when Audible started using the new aaxc format, iSummersoft Audible Converter makes a breakthrough now. It deserves a free trial so that you can enjoy your android audible audiobooks on any mp3 players!