How to Convert M4A to MP3

To convert M4A to MP3, open the M4A to MP3 tool, choose your M4A files, pick the quality and tap Convert to MP3. Then download the new files, or one ZIP when you chose several.

Your files stay on your device while they are converted, and the originals are never changed. This guide explains when to convert, which quality to pick and what to expect from the new file.

What you need

• One or more M4A files on your phone or computer, such as recordings from the Voice Memos app on an iPhone.
• A recent browser. The page tells you if yours cannot read a file.
• A few minutes. Short recordings take seconds.

Why convert M4A to MP3

M4A is the type an iPhone uses for voice recordings, and many stores use it for music. It is a good format, but not every device takes it. Older MP3 players, some car stereos, school and office upload forms, and a number of editing programs ask for MP3. Converting makes the same sound work in all of these places.

Steps to convert M4A to MP3

1. Open the M4A to MP3 tool and tap the box. Choose your M4A files. On an iPhone, the files app opens, and recordings from Voice Memos can be found after you save them to Files.
2. Look at the line under the options. It shows how long the sound is and the expected size of the MP3.
3. Choose the Quality. 128 kbps is a fair size for speech, and 192 kbps or 256 kbps suits music.
4. Under Channels, leave Keep as they are, or choose Mono for a smaller file when the recording is a voice.
5. Tap Convert to MP3. A bar shows the progress, and a Cancel button stops the job.
6. Download each MP3, or the ZIP. Play one file to check it before you share it.

Which quality to choose

• Speech, lectures and interviews: 96 or 128 kbps in mono is clear and small.
• Music for everyday listening: 192 kbps in stereo.
• Music you care about: 256 or 320 kbps. The files are larger.

M4A and MP3 both save space by dropping detail that is hard to hear. When you convert from one to the other, a second round of this happens, so a very low quality will sound rougher than the original. A higher quality keeps more.

Getting recordings from an iPhone

Apple explains how to get a recording out of Voice Memos in its help page on exporting a Voice Memos recording to Files. It says recordings are exported as M4A by default. Once the file is in the Files app, choose it in the tool.

Keeping the original

The tool never changes your M4A. It reads the file, makes a new MP3 next to it, and leaves the original where it was. Keep the M4A if you may want to convert it again at a different quality later.

Songs from a store or streaming service

Songs that are locked by a store or a streaming service cannot be read by a browser, and the page shows a message. Only convert sound you have the right to use, such as your own recordings.

Common problems

It says my browser cannot read this sound. Update your browser, or try Chrome or Safari on a computer.

There is no sound in the MP3. Check that the M4A plays on your phone first. A file that is empty or damaged cannot be converted.

The tags are missing. Only the sound is converted. Title and artist names are not copied, so you may need to add them in your music app.

The file is bigger than I expected. Lower the quality, or choose Mono for a voice recording.

Frequently asked questions

Is my recording uploaded?

No. The conversion happens inside your browser, on your device. The file never goes to our servers or anyone else.

Will the MP3 sound the same as the M4A?

Very close at 192 kbps or higher. Because both types are compressed, a small extra loss is possible, and a higher quality reduces it.

Can I convert many M4A files at once?

Yes. Choose them together and they are converted one after another. You get one ZIP with all the MP3 files.

Can I do the reverse and make an M4A?

Yes. The Audio Converter saves as M4A as well as MP3, WAV and, in browsers that support it, OGG.