AY Converter

Extract text from ZX Spectrum audio files (AY)


Drop or upload your .AY file
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How to extract text from your AY file

  1. Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your AY file.
  2. You’ll see a preview, if available.
  3. Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert AY to another file type

To convert AY Audio files to another format, you need ZXAYEMUL or other Audio software.

Convert a file to AY

To convert other file formats to the "Emulator Audio File" file type, you need software like ZXAYEMUL or a similar tool.


About AY files

The .ay format primarily stores chiptune music extracted from classic 8-bit computers like the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC. It contains direct hardware instructions for the General Instrument AY-3-8910 sound chip. A secondary, unrelated use for the .ay extension is as a proprietary music notation score file for Maestro Composer. To open chiptune .ay files, users typically need dedicated emulators or specialized audio players like Audio Overload or ZXAYEMUL. The main disadvantage of the .ay format is its extremely narrow compatibility. It is not an audio stream; it is a sequence of chip instructions, meaning modern media players, web browsers, and smartphones cannot play it natively. For Maestro Composer scores, the file is heavily proprietary and locks users into requiring specific paid software just to view or print the sheet music. For playback on modern devices, convert .ay chiptunes to MP3 or WAV. If you want to archive the highest quality audio without loss, convert to FLAC. For Maestro Composer files, exporting to MIDI or PDF is the most practical way to share musical scores. Drop your file here to view and convert it securely right in your browser.

Use Convert.Guru to open and convert your AY file.

Users also converted MP3, WMA, SILK and M4A files.


FAQ

If you want to convert AY file to MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WMA, M4A, AIFF, OPUS, ALAC, APE or WV, you can use ZXAYEMUL or similar software from the "8-bit Chiptune Audio Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….

To convert MIDI, AAC, TTA, AU, WV, DTS, MID, FLAC, RA, MP3, PCM or WAV files to AY, try ZXAYEMUL or another comparable tool in the "8-bit Chiptune Audio Storage" category.



The AY Converter Story

The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our AY converter.