Convert your audio files to Microsoft's WMA (Windows Media Audio) format using our free online converter. You can also convert existing WMA files to other formats like MP3, WAV, AAC, etc. WMA was developed as a competitor to MP3 and can offer good compression. Our WMA converter is free, secure (files deleted within about an hour), requires no signup, and is easy to use.
Easily create or convert WMA files:
WMA from the 'Convert to:' dropdown list.WMA (Windows Media Audio) is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. It's part of the Windows Media framework and was originally positioned as a competitor to the MP3 format.
WMA includes several codecs:
This converter always writes the standard lossy WMA codec (WMA v2) at 192 kbps, 44.1 kHz stereo; WMA Pro, Lossless and Voice output are not available. WMA files often include support for Digital Rights Management (DRM), although our converter only handles unprotected files.
WMA files are best supported within the Microsoft ecosystem:
If you are not primarily using Windows, converting WMA files to a more compatible format like MP3 or AAC is often recommended for broader usability.
| Full name | Windows Media Audio |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy |
| Developed by | Microsoft |
| Introduced | 1999 |
| File extension | .wma |
| Typically used for | Older Windows music libraries and portable players |
| Plays on | Windows Media Player and most Windows apps, VLC; poor on Apple and Android |
| Our output | WMA v2, 192 kbps, 44.1 kHz stereo |
We encode standard WMA, specifically WMA version 2, in an ASF container at 192 kbps, 44.1 kHz and stereo. That version is the one most WMA-capable software and hardware can play. WMA Pro, WMA Lossless and WMA Voice are not available as outputs, and there are no settings to change.
Mostly for older equipment and software. Some legacy Windows programs, older portable players and car stereos list WMA among their supported formats, and certain Windows Media-based workflows still expect it. For anything new, MP3 or M4A usually works in more places with the same file size.
Not reliably. Apple devices don't play WMA natively, and Android support depends on the phone and the music app. VLC plays WMA on all of these platforms. On Windows, Windows Media Player and the built-in media apps handle it. If you share files with non-Windows users, MP3 is the safer choice.
Our WMA output is fixed at 44.1 kHz stereo. A 48 kHz or higher source is resampled to 44.1 kHz, and surround audio such as 5.1 is downmixed to two channels. Mono recordings are written as stereo. If you need to keep 5.1, choose AAC, M4A or AC3 instead.
At 192 kbps the difference is small, and both sound good for most listeners. WMA's efficiency edge over MP3 shows up mainly at low bitrates. Our WMA and MP3 files are also the same size, about 1.44 MB per minute, so the choice usually comes down to which one your device plays.
No. WMA files locked with DRM, such as some purchases or subscription downloads from older Windows Media-based music services, can't be converted. Unprotected WMA files convert normally in either direction, for example WMA to MP3, as long as each file is 50 MB or smaller.
Need detailed information or want to set a different default format? Visit our specific converter pages: