NIST to MAUD Converter

Turn NIST recordings into MAUD format online

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Privacy First

NIST audio files are removed instantly after the conversion ends. The resulting MAUD files are deleted within 24 hours automatically.

Cloud Conversion

Server-side processing means NIST to MAUD conversion does not tax your device. Everything runs in the cloud seamlessly.

Precise Output

Expect accurate NIST to MAUD results. Both formats share audio-centric design, ensuring clean data transfer during conversion.

How to convert NIST to MAUD

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

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

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

About formats

NIST SPHERE (SPeech HEader REsources) is a specialized audio file format created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for speech research, particularly projects funded by DARPA. The format wraps raw audio samples with a structured ASCII header encoding metadata such as sample rate, channel count, encoding type, speaker demographics, and transcription annotations — making it ideal for distributing speech corpora. NIST files typically store uncompressed PCM or mu-law audio at telephone-quality sample rates (8 kHz or 16 kHz), though the container is flexible enough to hold various encodings. A key advantage is the rich self-documenting header that lets researchers embed detailed corpus metadata directly in the file, eliminating sidecar files. SPHERE has also become the de facto standard for major speech databases like TIMIT, Switchboard, and the Fisher corpus, ensuring broad recognition across academic and government labs. The open specification and availability of command-line tools (sphere, h_strip, w_decode) make it straightforward to convert, inspect, and process these files programmatically in speech processing pipelines.

Developer: National Institute of Standards and Technology

Initial release: 1990

MAUD is an audio file format developed by MacroSystem for the Commodore Amiga platform, introduced in the early 1990s as part of their digital video and audio production tools. Built on the Amiga IFF (Interchange File Format) chunk architecture, MAUD files organize data into clearly delineated chunks — MHDR for the header, MDAT for sample data, and optional annotation chunks for metadata. The format supports mono and stereo layouts with bit depths of 8 or 16 bits and sample rates up to 48 kHz, which represented professional-grade specifications on Amiga hardware. Both signed linear PCM and A-law/mu-law encodings are available, offering a choice between fidelity and file size. MAUD saw primary use in the Amiga video production community, where MacroSystem Retina and VLab Motion boards demanded synchronized audio that the standard 8SVX format could not deliver. Conversion support exists today through SoX and libsndfile, ensuring vintage Amiga productions remain recoverable. Three distinct advantages stand out: clean IFF-based structure that any chunk-aware parser can navigate, 16-bit stereo capability ahead of typical Amiga audio, and lightweight overhead that left maximum CPU headroom for video rendering.

Developer: MacroSystem Computer GmbH

Initial release: 1992

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert NIST to MAUD?

NIST SPHERE recordings cannot run on Amiga platforms. MAUD is the native Amiga audio format for retro computing and preservation.

What software opens MAUD files?

You can open MAUD with Amiga-based audio tools, SoX, or Audacity with appropriate import plugins.

Do I need special software for this conversion?

No software installation required. The NIST to MAUD converter runs entirely in your web browser on any operating system.

How long does NIST to MAUD conversion take?

Most NIST files convert to MAUD within seconds. Larger recordings may take a moment longer, but results arrive quickly.

What platforms support NIST to MAUD conversion?

Any device with a web browser — Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS. The converter requires no installed software at all.

Can I adjust audio settings before converting?

Yes. You can configure sample rate, bit depth, and channel count before starting the NIST to MAUD conversion process.

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Specific converters

MP3 to MAUD

MP4 to MAUD

WAV to MAUD

FLAC to MAUD

M4A to MAUD

SMP to MAUD

MPG to MAUD

MOV to MAUD

AVI to MAUD

ASF to MAUD

APE to MAUD

WMV to MAUD

3G2 to MAUD

3GP to MAUD

AAF to MAUD

AV1 to MAUD

AVCHD to MAUD

CAVS to MAUD

DIVX to MAUD

DV to MAUD

F4V to MAUD

FLV to MAUD

HEVC to MAUD

M2TS to MAUD

M2V to MAUD

M4V to MAUD

MJPEG to MAUD

MKV to MAUD

MOD to MAUD

MPEG to MAUD