Convert M4A to MP3

What is an M4A file?

M4A is an MPEG-4 audio file. It usually holds AAC audio, and sometimes Apple Lossless, also called ALAC. Apple uses M4A for iTunes Store music, iPhone Voice Memos and songs imported into the Music app. Many Android recorders and podcast tools save M4A too.

Why convert M4A to MP3?

Some older players, car stereos, USB speakers and apps don't recognise M4A. MP3 works almost everywhere. Use it when a file has to play from a thumb drive, go out by email or open in a program that only lists MP3.

Quality and bitrate

The M4A is decoded and re-encoded as MP3. On Auto, the tool matches the source's average bitrate, so a 256 kbps iTunes song becomes an MP3 of about 256 kbps. You can also pick a fixed bitrate from 64 to 320 kbps and set a sample rate in the options panel. Keep metadata carries tags over when possible. AAC and MP3 are both lossy and each re-encode loses a little detail, so keep the original M4A.

How to convert M4A to MP3 in iTunes or Apple Music

If the songs are already in your library, Apple's own apps can make MP3 copies. Set the import encoder to MP3 once, then create MP3 versions. The steps are the same in the Music app on a Mac and in iTunes for Windows.

• On a Mac, open Music and choose Music > Settings, or Preferences on older macOS, then click Files. In iTunes for Windows, choose Edit > Preferences, then click General.
• Click Import Settings, set Import Using to MP3 Encoder, choose a quality setting and click OK.
• Select the songs you want to convert in your library.
• Choose File > Convert > Create MP3 Version. The MP3 copies appear next to the originals in your library.

When this converter is faster

The iTunes method only works on songs in your library, and it adds duplicate entries you then have to clean up. This converter takes any M4A file: an email attachment, a Voice Memo saved to Files or a recording from another app. It works in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, a Chromebook or a phone. You don't import anything, and you can download a whole batch as one ZIP.

Before you start

Input: M4A. Output: MP3. The settings appear before anything runs, so you can check them first. Your original file is never changed.

Converting audio can change the codec, bitrate, channels, tags and length. Listen to the start and end of the result. Keep a lossless original if you may edit it again.

Keep the original until you have opened and checked the result. The work happens in this browser tab, so the size you can handle depends on your device's memory, your browser and the file itself.

How to convert M4A to MP3

1. Drop your .m4a files above, or browse to select them.
2. Change the bitrate, sample rate or metadata options if you want. Auto suits most files.
3. Press Convert all. Everything runs in your browser.
4. Download each MP3 or get them all as a ZIP.