Convert M4A to MP3 online for free. No software needed. Up to 100 MB.
Drop your M4A file hereTap to choose your M4A file
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Also supports WAV, FLAC, OGG, AAC, WMA, AIFF, OPUS • Max 100 MB
Drag and drop your M4A file into the converter above, or click Choose M4A File to browse your device.
Click Convert to MP3. Our server converts your file in seconds using high-quality encoding.
Click Download MP3 to save the converted file. That's it — no registration, no email required.
Windows 10 and 11 can play M4A files natively through Media Player, but compatibility ends there — Windows Movie Maker, many video editors, and most car stereos connected via USB only recognize MP3. Your M4A files typically live in %USERPROFILE%\Music or, if recorded with the built-in Voice Recorder app, in Documents\Sound recordings. To quickly locate them, press Win+E to open File Explorer and type *.m4a in the search bar to scan your entire drive. Rather than installing bulky desktop converters that bundle unwanted software, you can convert M4A to MP3 online in seconds — just upload, convert, and download a universally compatible file ready for any device or editing timeline.
Mac users encounter M4A files in two main locations: Apple Music stores purchases and ripped tracks as .m4a in ~/Music/Music/Media/, while Voice Memos saves recordings in the hidden path ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.VoiceMemos.shared/Recordings/ (press Cmd+Shift+G in Finder to navigate there directly). Apple Music does include a built-in MP3 encoder buried under Preferences > Files > Import Settings > MP3 Encoder, but it only converts tracks already in your library, offers limited bitrate control, and won't batch-process Voice Memos. GarageBand can export to MP3 as a workaround, though it requires importing each file into a project first — impractical for multiple recordings.
iPhone's Voice Memos app records audio exclusively in M4A format, making this the most common reason iOS users need M4A to MP3 conversion. To access these recordings, open Voice Memos, tap the three-dot menu on any recording, choose Share, then Save to Files. iOS has no built-in audio format converter — while GarageBand can technically export MP3, the process requires over ten steps involving creating a new project, importing the file, and sharing with specific settings. Screen recordings on iPhone also generate M4A audio tracks. Once you save or download an M4A file through Safari, the Files app makes it easy to locate and upload for conversion directly from your device.
Samsung Voice Recorder and Google Recorder both save audio in M4A format by default, storing files under Internal storage/Recordings/ or Internal storage/Music/. When you need to set a custom ringtone, many Android devices still require MP3 files, and audio received from iPhone users via iMessage or AirDrop typically arrives as M4A, which some Android apps struggle to play. Android offers no built-in format converter, so an online tool lets you upload the M4A directly from your file manager and download the MP3 ready for use.
ChromeOS has limited native audio codec support, and while Linux apps via Crostini can technically run ffmpeg, most school-issued and managed Chromebooks have Linux installation disabled by administrators. This makes a browser-based converter the most practical — and often the only — option for converting M4A files to MP3. No extensions or software needed, which fits perfectly within ChromeOS restrictions.
M4A is an audio file format that uses AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) compression inside an MPEG-4 container. Apple popularized M4A as the default format for iTunes and iPhone recordings.
M4A delivers better audio quality than MP3 at the same bitrate, making it efficient for storage. However, its compatibility is limited mainly to Apple devices, modern smartphones, and newer media players.
On Windows 10/11, M4A files play natively in Windows Media Player and the Movies & TV app. For older Windows versions or more codec flexibility, VLC Media Player handles M4A without any additional codecs. On Mac, M4A is a native Apple format — Apple Music, QuickTime Player, and Finder's Quick Look (press Space on a selected file) all play M4A out of the box. On Android, most modern devices play M4A through the default music app, but if yours doesn't, VLC for Android is a free, ad-free player that supports virtually every audio and video format. On Linux, VLC and Rhythmbox both handle M4A natively with GStreamer's AAC decoder.
MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer 3) is the most widely supported audio format in the world. Developed in the early 1990s, it became the standard for digital music distribution.
Every device, media player, car stereo, and operating system supports MP3 playback. While MP3 is less efficient than newer codecs like AAC, its universal compatibility makes it the safest choice when sharing audio files.
| Feature | M4A | MP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Codec | AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) | MPEG Audio Layer 3 |
| Quality at 128 kbps | Good (comparable to 192 kbps MP3) | Acceptable |
| Typical bitrate | 128–256 kbps | 128–320 kbps |
| File size (4 min song) | ~4 MB at 128 kbps | ~5 MB at 160 kbps |
| Device compatibility | Apple, modern players | Universal (all devices) |
| Car stereo support | Limited (newer models) | All car stereos with USB/AUX |
| DRM support | Yes (Apple FairPlay) | No |
| Best for | Apple ecosystem, quality storage | Sharing, universal playback |
Converting M4A to MP3 is a lossy-to-lossy transcode: the AAC-compressed audio is decoded to raw PCM, then re-encoded with the LAME MP3 encoder. Each generation of lossy compression discards some spectral detail, so the output can never exceed the quality of the source. In practice, the degradation is minimal and inaudible to most listeners when you use an adequate bitrate.
Convertio preserves the original sample rate (typically 44.1 kHz for music or 48 kHz for video-derived audio) and maintains the stereo/mono channel layout of the source file. The conversion pipeline uses FFmpeg with the LAME encoder — the same open-source toolchain trusted by audio professionals and streaming platforms worldwide.
Bitrate is the single biggest factor in output quality. At 320 kbps (the maximum for MP3), transparent listening tests consistently show no perceptible difference from the source, making it the practical ceiling — higher sample rates or bit depths won't improve an MP3 file. 192–256 kbps offers an excellent quality-to-size ratio for music. For voice recordings, podcasts, or audiobooks, 128 kbps is sufficient because spoken audio has a narrower frequency range and lower dynamic complexity than music.
MP3 works on every device and media player ever made. If your car stereo, old iPod, or DJ software doesn't play M4A files, converting to MP3 solves the problem instantly.
When sharing audio via email, messaging apps, or websites, MP3 is the safest choice. Recipients won't have compatibility issues regardless of their device or operating system.
Many audio editing tools, presentation software, and website builders work better with MP3. If your software doesn't accept M4A input, MP3 is the universal alternative.
Some M4A files purchased from iTunes may have DRM protection. Converting to MP3 (from unprotected M4A files) gives you a format free from any proprietary restrictions.