GSM to AU Converter

Re-encode GSM telephony speech into Sun AU audio online

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Unix-Native Audio

Convert GSM telephony recordings into the AU format — the standard audio file type on Sun, NeXT, and Unix-based systems.

Any Browser Works

Run the GSM to AU conversion from Chrome, Firefox, or Safari on any platform. No local software installation required.

Privacy Protected

GSM uploads are erased immediately after conversion. AU outputs are removed from servers within 24 hours.

How to convert GSM to AU

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose au or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your au file right afterwards

About formats

GSM 06.10 (Full Rate) is the foundational speech codec of the Global System for Mobile Communications standard, ratified by ETSI in 1991 and deployed across hundreds of cellular networks worldwide. Operating at a fixed 13 kbit/s, the algorithm applies Regular Pulse Excitation with Long-Term Prediction (RPE-LTP) to compress 20 ms frames of 8 kHz mono speech into just 33 bytes each. This approach models the vocal tract as a linear predictive filter, encodes the excitation signal, and leverages pitch periodicity for further reduction — tuned to deliver intelligible voice under the bandwidth constraints of early digital mobile channels. The codec powers not only GSM telephony but also many VoIP applications, voicemail systems, and IVR platforms that benefit from its low bitrate. Three concrete advantages stand out. First, extraordinary compression: one minute of speech fits in roughly 100 KB, enabling efficient storage and transmission. Second, universal tooling — libraries such as libgsm and SoX handle encoding and decoding on every major platform. Third, a royalty-free patent landscape that has encouraged adoption across open-source telephony projects like Asterisk and FreeSWITCH.
Initial release: 1991
AU is an audio file format introduced by Sun Microsystems for its Unix workstations and the NeXT platform. It features a minimal 24-byte header specifying data offset, size, encoding type, sample rate, and channel count, followed by the audio payload. AU supports numerous encodings, including uncompressed linear PCM at various bit depths, mu-law and A-law companding (logarithmic compression used in telephone systems), and several ADPCM variants. This versatility made AU a workhorse across early Unix environments, web audio (Java applets defaulted to AU), and telephony applications. One advantage is simplicity: the compact header and straightforward structure make it trivial to parse, generate, and stream programmatically. The built-in mu-law option provides another benefit, delivering reasonable voice quality at just 8 KB per second — half the rate of 16-bit uncompressed audio — invaluable when storage and bandwidth were scarce. Although modern formats have largely supplanted AU in consumer applications, it retains a foothold in scientific computing and audio processing pipelines where minimal overhead and reliable cross-platform behavior are valued.
Developer: Sun Microsystems
Initial release: 1992

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert GSM to AU?

AU is the standard audio format on Unix and Solaris systems. It is also used in Java applets and some web audio applications.

What programs open AU files?

VLC, Audacity, SoX, and most Unix/Linux media players support AU natively. Java AudioSystem also handles AU playback.

Is AU good for speech recordings?

AU supports mu-law and linear PCM encoding — both well-suited for speech audio. It is a practical choice for voice data on Unix platforms.

How does AU compare to WAV?

AU and WAV both store PCM audio. AU uses big-endian byte order and is native to Unix, while WAV is the Windows standard.

Are my GSM recordings kept private?

Uploaded files are deleted after conversion. AU results are automatically purged from our servers within 24 hours.