Will iTunes/iPod accept AAC files ripped with a different program?

[dominator]

Well, I guess the thread title is self explanatory, but I'll elaborate:

I got my iPod recently, and it's very cool, but I've been having trouble ripping CD's using iTunes. So far I got around this by ripping it lossless using Windows Media Player, and then converting it to AAC with iTunes.

Now, today I just discovered that Winamp lets you rip files to RAW AAC and M4a AAC. Now, which one of these do I want, and will iTunes/iPod play these files even if they were ripped with a different program?

I would normally assume yes, but, I seem to remember hearing somewhere about some sort of bug with this kind of thing...

Anyway, thanks.

 

[podunk]

I have used dbpoweramp to encode AAC for iTunes with no problems. I prefer iTunes, but sometimes find a need to dbpa and iTunes has no prob with the files.

 

[blessingx]

AAC goes way back (MPEG-2 days), so no the iPod won't accept all. There's some discussions of various incompatibilities, but basically since the iPod/iTunes combo is the biggest user of AACs currently, many progs are giving a MP4 wrapped compatible option (Apple using the designation of M4A - MPEG-4 Audio). That's what you want.