SHN to RA Converter

Encode Shorten audio as RealAudio format online

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Settings

The codec to encode the audio track. Codec "Without reencoding" copies the audio stream from the input file into output without re-encoding if possible.
Set the number of audio channels. This setting is most useful when downmixing channels (e.g., from 5.1 to stereo).
Set the sample rate of the audio. Music with a full spectrum (20 Hz — 20 kHz) requires values not lower than 44.1 kHz to achieve transparency. More info can be found on the wiki.

shn

Shorten (SHN) is a lossless audio compression codec created by Tony Robinson at SoftSound) and first published in 1993, making it one of the earliest practical lossless compressors. The algorithm uses linear prediction to estimate each sample from predecessors, then encodes residuals with Huffman or Golomb-Rice codes. Compression ratios typically fall between 2:1 and 3:1, with the guarantee that decoded output is bit-identical to the original. Shorten gained cultural significance in the late 1990s as the preferred format for trading live concert recordings online — communities like etree.org built entire distribution networks around SHN files, and bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish tacitly endorsed the practice. One advantage was the format's simplicity: encoding and decoding ran fast even on modest Pentium-era hardware. Another strength was deterministic output — the same input always produced the same bytes, making checksums reliable for verifying integrity across thousands of traders. While FLAC eventually superseded Shorten with better compression, seeking support, and embedded metadata, SHN retains historical importance and extensive live music archives in the format still circulate today.
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ra

RealAudio is a proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks and first released in 1995 as one of the earliest technologies enabling real-time audio streaming over the internet. During the dial-up era, RealAudio was genuinely revolutionary — it let users listen to audio as it downloaded rather than waiting for the entire file, a paradigm shift when a three-minute song could take 30 minutes to transfer. The format evolved through multiple codec generations: early versions used low-bitrate speech codecs for 14.4 kbps modems, while later iterations (RealAudio 10, built on AAC) delivered near-CD quality. RA files support constant and variable bitrate encoding, adaptive multi-bitrate streaming, and buffering algorithms designed to minimize playback interruptions on unreliable connections. At its peak, RealPlayer was installed on hundreds of millions of PCs, and broadcasters like the BBC and NPR relied on RealAudio for online streams. A lasting technical contribution was the adaptive bitrate streaming concept that influenced later standards like HLS and DASH. Though supplanted by modern codecs, vast archives of RA content from early web radio still exist and need conversion for playback on current devices.
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Streaming Legacy

Both SHN and RA are from the same era — but RA works on legacy streaming infrastructure where SHN cannot.

Server Encoding

No RealAudio tools needed — our servers handle the SHN to RA conversion through your browser.

Secure Processing

SHN uploads are erased immediately. RA results are purged within 24 hours.

How to convert SHN to RA

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

Shorten (SHN) is a lossless audio compression codec created by Tony Robinson at SoftSound) and first published in 1993, making it one of the earliest practical lossless compressors. The algorithm uses linear prediction to estimate each sample from predecessors, then encodes residuals with Huffman or Golomb-Rice codes. Compression ratios typically fall between 2:1 and 3:1, with the guarantee that decoded output is bit-identical to the original. Shorten gained cultural significance in the late 1990s as the preferred format for trading live concert recordings online — communities like etree.org built entire distribution networks around SHN files, and bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish tacitly endorsed the practice. One advantage was the format's simplicity: encoding and decoding ran fast even on modest Pentium-era hardware. Another strength was deterministic output — the same input always produced the same bytes, making checksums reliable for verifying integrity across thousands of traders. While FLAC eventually superseded Shorten with better compression, seeking support, and embedded metadata, SHN retains historical importance and extensive live music archives in the format still circulate today.
Initial release: 1993
RealAudio is a proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks and first released in 1995 as one of the earliest technologies enabling real-time audio streaming over the internet. During the dial-up era, RealAudio was genuinely revolutionary — it let users listen to audio as it downloaded rather than waiting for the entire file, a paradigm shift when a three-minute song could take 30 minutes to transfer. The format evolved through multiple codec generations: early versions used low-bitrate speech codecs for 14.4 kbps modems, while later iterations (RealAudio 10, built on AAC) delivered near-CD quality. RA files support constant and variable bitrate encoding, adaptive multi-bitrate streaming, and buffering algorithms designed to minimize playback interruptions on unreliable connections. At its peak, RealPlayer was installed on hundreds of millions of PCs, and broadcasters like the BBC and NPR relied on RealAudio for online streams. A lasting technical contribution was the adaptive bitrate streaming concept that influenced later standards like HLS and DASH. Though supplanted by modern codecs, vast archives of RA content from early web radio still exist and need conversion for playback on current devices.
Developer: RealNetworks
Initial release: April 1995

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert SHN to RA?

Both SHN and RA are legacy formats, but RA is needed for RealMedia streaming platforms still in use.

What plays RA?

RealPlayer, VLC, and media players with RealAudio codec support handle RA playback.

Is RealAudio still used?

While mostly replaced, RA persists in some internet radio stations and archived content libraries.

How compact is RA?

RA was built for early streaming — much smaller than lossless SHN at the cost of audio quality.

Is the conversion private?

SHN uploads are deleted immediately. RA results are removed within 24 hours.