Can iTunes Play AVI Files? How to Add and Convert AVI to iTunes?

Quick Navigation

1. Can iTunes Play AVI Files Directly?

2. Best Free AVI to iTunes Converter

3. How to Convert AVI to iTunes-compatible Format?

4. How to Import Converted Files into iTunes?

Can iTunes Play AVI Files Directly?

Straight out of the box, the answer is no. While iTunes is one of the most popular media players and libraries around, its support for video file types is quite limited, only including: MP4, MOV, and M4V. Obviously, AVI is not on the list.

So if you try to directly add an AVI file to your iTunes library, either nothing's gonna happen or iTunes will give you an error saying the file type is not supported.

Luckily, there is a flexible workaround. To get your AVIs into iTunes, you'll need to convert them into a format that iTunes natively supports. The good news is that this is easy to do with the right AVI to iTunes converter app.

Best Free AVI to iTunes Converter

After testing many different video converter apps and services, we recommend Free HD Video Converter Factory as the best option for converting AVI files into iTunes-friendly formats. Here are a few reasons why it's our top pick:

Totally free: no watermarks or length limitations
No quality loss: keeps original quality 100% intact
Fast conversion speed: better than paid tools
Simple interface: easy for beginners to use
Custom output settings: modify parameters like codec, resolution etc.
Additional editing tools: trim, crop, add effects, embed subtitles, etc.
Private: works offline so your files stay secure
Active development: regular updates with new features and improvements

Now get the free AVI to iTunes converter download, and let's jump in how to use it.

How to Convert AVI to iTunes-compatible Format?

Step 1 - Add AVI Files

Install and runInstall and run Free HD Video Converter Factory. Open "Converter" module and click "Add Files" button to import your AVI files. Alternatively, perform a quick drag-n-drop.

Open AVI to iTunes Converter and Add AVI Files

Step 2 - Choose an iTunes-Friendly Video Format

On the right side of the app, click on the big "Format" image to expand the full library of 500+ configured presets. Go to "Apple" category, and choose "iTunes Video" profile, which has been optimized for iTunes.

Tips. You're able to choose MP4, MOV, or M4V under "Video" category. Then open "Parameter settings" window to change the video codec to H.264 and the audio encoder to AAC. Incidentally, you can also change video resolution, bitrate, frame rate, encoder, aspect ratio, and the like right there.

Step 3 - Convert AVI to iTunes-Supported Format

Choose a location to save the output video files. Lastly, hit the "Run" button to start the conversion process. It will complete very quickly, much faster than real-time.

Also Read: DVDs to iTunes | FLAC to iTunes | APE to iTunes | iTunes Won't Play MP3

How to Import Converted Files into iTunes?

iTunes makes it easy to import the AVI videos after converting them to MP4, MOV, or M4V. Here's how to add the converted files to your iTunes library:

Open iTunes on your computer.
In the top menu bar, click "File" > "Add File to Library".
In the file selector, browse to and select the MP4/M4V/MOV files converted from your AVI videos.
Click Open. iTunes will import all the selected converted video files. You can also drag and drop them into iTunes directly.
The videos will appear in the "Home Videos" library under "Movies" section.

Now you can enjoy your AVI videos in iTunes just like any other supported format. Converting to MP4, MOV, or M4V preserves the original video quality while making the files fully compatible with iTunes.

Final Words

While iTunes does not natively support adding and playing AVI video files, by following the steps outlined in this guide, you can seamlessly convert and import AVI files to iTunes, ensuring that you can enjoy your favorite videos without any hassle.

Remember to bookmark this guide for future reference and share it with fellow iTunes enthusiasts who may benefit from it. Thanks for reading!