Using our online audio converter tool, you can quickly and easily convert audio files to the M4A format or convert existing M4A files to other formats. Supported output formats include AAC, MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG, and AIFF. Our M4A converter is 100% free to use, respects user privacy, doesn't require any user registration, and accepts files up to 50 MB. Uploaded files are deleted as soon as conversion succeeds, and converted files are automatically deleted from our servers within about an hour.
Whether you want to convert audio to M4A or convert M4A to other audio formats, the process is simple using our online M4A converter:
M4A will be selected by default, but you can choose any other supported format like MP3, WAV, etc.
M4A stands for MPEG-4 Audio. It's a file extension used for audio-only files within the MPEG-4 Part 14 container format (which typically uses the .mp4 extension when it contains video). When an MPEG-4 file contains only audio, the .m4a extension is commonly used to differentiate it.
This format was popularized by Apple for use in the iTunes Store. Most M4A files are encoded using the lossy Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) codec, which offers good quality at relatively small file sizes compared to MP3. However, M4A containers can also hold audio encoded with the lossless Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC). Our converter always writes M4A as lossy AAC-LC at 192 kbps (not ALAC), keeping the source sample rate and up to 5.1 channels.
While often used interchangeably for music, M4A (usually with AAC encoding) and MP3 have key differences:
Opening M4A files is straightforward on most modern systems. You likely don't need special software. Popular applications that support M4A include:
You can usually open M4A files received via email or downloaded from websites directly with your device's default media player.
| Full name | MPEG-4 Audio (AAC in an MP4 container) |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy (AAC) |
| Developed by | MPEG / Apple |
| Introduced | 2003 |
| File extension | .m4a |
| Typically used for | Apple Music and iTunes libraries, iPhone voice memos, podcasts |
| Plays on | Apple devices, Android, Windows 10+, modern browsers |
| Our output | AAC-LC 192 kbps in MP4, fast-start |
No. Our M4A output is AAC-LC at 192 kbps inside the MP4 container, which is lossy. M4A files can contain ALAC, but we don't create them. If you need lossless audio, convert to FLAC, WAV or AIFF instead. For everyday listening, 192 kbps AAC sounds very good to most people.
The audio is identical: both use AAC-LC at 192 kbps and keep up to 5.1 channels. The difference is packaging. M4A uses the MP4 container, which supports tags and cover art and is what Apple Music, iTunes and most phones expect. AAC is a raw stream without a container, useful mainly for tools that require .aac.
We write M4A files with fast-start, which places the index that players need at the beginning of the file instead of the end. That lets a browser or app begin playing the audio before the whole file has downloaded, which helps when you host the file on a website or share it for streaming.
At 192 kbps an M4A takes about 1.44 MB per minute, the same as our MP3 output. A 5-minute WAV of around 50 MB becomes an M4A of roughly 7 MB. The size depends only on length, not on how complex the audio is, since the bitrate is fixed.
No. Both are lossy, so converting MP3 to M4A re-encodes audio that has already lost some detail, and it adds a small extra loss rather than removing any. It makes sense when an app or device needs M4A, not as an upgrade. For best results, convert from the original lossless file if you still have it.
Only files without DRM. Songs downloaded through an Apple Music subscription and older protected iTunes purchases with the .m4p extension can't be converted. DRM-free iTunes Plus purchases, voice memos and M4A files you created yourself work fine, up to the 50 MB per-file limit.
Need detailed information or want to set a different default format? Visit our specific converter pages: