Format Factory

Format Factory really should be a must-have on everyone's PC. With more than 40 million downloads — yes, million — since it came out, it seems almost everyone has this brilliant software. It is entirely free to use, which is almost unheard of considering the quality of this software.

This software is a converter application: if you need something converted to another file type, then fire up Format Factory and let it work its magic. All picture files can be converted from one to another. All movie files and audio files can also be changed.

Odd Music Files? No Problem.

Ever saw a rarely encountered music file, like .ogg? You may not have a music player on your computer that handles it, yet you don't want to go hunting for another music player. Format Factory can easily convert the file to the common mp3, allowing you to start listening to your song file immediately instead of worrying over a file type.

Video to Audio

Another strong feature for Format Factory is the ability to turn any saved video into a music file, such as an mp3. This can be done in many ways outside of Format Factory, but this simple software makes it so much easier to do.

When you select a movie file and want to make it a music file, you can choose the quality of the resulting sound. The default is 128 kbps, but Format Factory allows up to 320 kbps for maximum CD quality.

You can also select the time frame that Format Factory will convert the video. Suppose you have a video that has a strange introductory noise and you want to cut it out of the audio. You won't need sound editing software; just click "Set Range" and make your selection there.

Those are just a few of the many features Format Factory has. From video to still pictures, Format Factory works on plenty of files types.