Convert audio
M4A to MP3 Converter
Convert an M4A audio file into MP3 for players and workflows that do not accept the MP4 audio container.
Local workspace
Process a local file
Result
Your selected media stays on this device. AudioFetcher loads its processing engine, reads the file in browser memory, and creates the result locally.
Refresh or close the tab and the selected file and generated result leave browser memory.
Most M4A files already contain compressed AAC audio, so transcoding can introduce a small quality loss.
How to use M4A to MP3 Converter
- 1
Choose the .m4a file on your device: an iPhone voice memo, a song from your own iTunes library or an M4A saved from YouTube.
- 2
Select M4A to MP3. The first run downloads the 32 MB audio engine, which can take up to a minute; after that it starts straight away.
- 3
Keep the tab open while the file is decoded and encoded as a 256 kbps MP3 inside your browser.
- 4
Download the MP3 and play it once to check it. Add artwork afterwards with the cover art tool if you want it.
What this tool changes
Convert an M4A audio file into MP3 for players and workflows that do not accept the MP4 audio container.
Most M4A files already contain compressed AAC audio, so transcoding can introduce a small quality loss.
When you actually need MP3 instead of M4A
M4A is a container, usually holding AAC audio, and it plays on iPhones, Macs, Android, Windows and every modern browser. MP3 is still the safer choice in a few places: car stereos and USB head units that only list MP3, older MP3 players, some DJ and karaoke software, and websites or apps that accept only .mp3 uploads. If your device already plays the M4A, keep it: converting adds size without adding quality.
What happens to quality
Most M4A files contain lossy AAC. Turning that into MP3 means decoding it and encoding it again, which is a second lossy generation. This tool encodes at 256 kbps, high enough that the extra loss is very hard to hear for music or speech from typical 128 to 256 kbps AAC sources, but it cannot improve on the original. If the M4A holds lossless ALAC instead, the MP3 is simply your first lossy copy, which is fine for listening. Either way, keep the original file.
Not sure what is inside? The audio metadata viewer shows whether an M4A contains AAC or ALAC, and the bitrate checker shows its real bitrate.
iPhone voice memos to MP3
In the Voice Memos app, open the recording, tap Share and choose Save to Files. Then open this page in Safari, choose the memo from Files and convert it. The MP3 will usually be bigger than the memo, because the memo uses efficient AAC and this tool writes 256 kbps. For speech you can shrink it afterwards with the MP3 compressor, which defaults to 96 kbps, without making a voice harder to understand.
Files this tool cannot convert
- Protected purchases and Apple Music downloads. Copy-protected .m4p files and subscription downloads are encrypted, and no browser tool can or should decode them.
- Unfinished or damaged files. An M4A from a recording app that crashed can be missing its index. See M4A will not play and how to check a corrupt audio file.
- Very large files on a phone. The whole file is processed in browser memory; long recordings work better on a computer.
Need MP3 from a YouTube video you have rights to? Skip the M4A step and choose MP3 in the AudioFetcher converter, or read YouTube to M4A for when the original AAC is the better file.
M4A to MP3 Converter questions
Does M4A to MP3 Converter upload my file?
Your selected media stays on this device. AudioFetcher loads its processing engine, reads the file in browser memory, and creates the result locally.
What should I know before using M4A to MP3 Converter?
Most M4A files already contain compressed AAC audio, so transcoding can introduce a small quality loss.
What bitrate is the MP3?
256 kbps constant bitrate, which suits both music and speech. To make a smaller file, run the result through the MP3 compressor.
Are tags and cover art kept?
Title, artist and album tags usually carry over. Embedded artwork does not, so add it back with the local cover art tool and fix any tags with the MP3 metadata editor.
Can I convert several M4A files at once?
This tool converts one file at a time. Each conversion runs on your device, so a few files in a row are quick on a computer.
Is M4A to MP3 conversion lossless?
No. MP3 is a lossy format, so the new file is a re-encode. At 256 kbps the difference is very small, but keep the original M4A if you might need it.