MP3 – MPEG Audio Layer III
MP3 is the most widely supported lossy audio format. It makes music files small enough to share and plays on virtually every device.
More MP3 conversionsDrop your MP3 files here
or click to choose MP3 files · up to 95MB each
How to convert MP3 to M4A
- Choose your files. Click Select File or drag your MP3 files into the upload box. You can add many at once.
- Pick the settings. M4A is already selected as the output format. The conversion starts as soon as a file is added.
- Download. Each file appears in the list when it is ready. Download them one by one, or all together with Download all.
Why convert MP3 to M4A?
M4A is the native audio format of Apple devices and iTunes. Converting MP3 to M4A can help when an Apple app or workflow, such as making ringtones, expects AAC audio.
When to keep the MP3
Keep the MP3 for everything else: it is the most widely supported audio format on phones, cars and players.
Tips for the best result
- The audio is encoded as AAC at 192 kbps.
- Song details such as title, artist and album are usually carried over to the new file.
- Converting between two compressed formats loses a little quality, so do it only when needed.
Common problems and fixes
- The M4A sounds slightly different.
- Every lossy re-encode changes the sound a little. Start from a lossless original if you have one.
- The M4A is not smaller.
- MP3s at low bitrates can be smaller than a 192 kbps M4A.
M4A – MPEG-4 Audio
M4A is an MP4 container for audio, normally AAC. It is the default audio format for iTunes, iPhone voice memos and many podcasts.
More M4A conversionsConverting MP3 to M4A
- Your MP3 file is converted on our server and the M4A result can be downloaded straight away.
Frequently asked questions
Is M4A better than MP3?
At the same bitrate AAC usually sounds a little better, but converting an MP3 cannot improve it.
Can I use the M4A as an iPhone ringtone?
Shorten it to 30 seconds and rename it to .m4r, then add it with Finder or iTunes.
How do I convert MP3 to M4A?
Click Select File or drop your MP3 file onto the upload box. The converted M4A appears in the list below with a download button. You can add many files at once and download them together as a ZIP.
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. To keep the service available for everyone there is a 95MB limit per file and a cap on how many files one connection can process in a short period.
Are my files stored?
Your upload is used only to make the converted file. Images are processed in memory; other files are written to a private temporary folder that is deleted as soon as the conversion finishes. Nothing is kept after the result has been sent back.
Will quality drop?
For images, a little, by design: the image is re-encoded at the Quality you choose (default 75%). Audio and video are re-encoded with high-quality settings; documents keep their text and layout as far as the target format allows. Converting never restores detail that is already missing from the original.
How this works: your file is uploaded over HTTPS and converted on this server with open-source engines (libvips for images, FFmpeg for audio and video, LibreOffice and Pandoc for documents, Calibre for ebooks, Ghostscript and Inkscape for PDF and vector files). Images are processed in memory; other files use a private temporary folder that is deleted as soon as the conversion finishes.