Convert M4A to MP3
Convert iPhone voice memos and Apple Music M4A/AAC files to MP3 locally.
How it works
M4A is AAC audio in an MP4 container: it is what iPhone Voice Memos, iTunes purchases and many Android recorders produce. It plays fine on Apple devices and modern players, but MP3 is still what most upload forms, older car stereos, podcast hosts and transcription tools ask for.
This converter decodes the AAC stream and encodes MP3 with LAME inside FFmpeg, in your browser. Pick 64 kbps for voice memos, 192 kbps or more for music. Files protected with Apple DRM (.m4p) cannot be converted.
Choosing the MP3 bitrate
| Source | Suggested MP3 bitrate | Size of 4 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone Voice Memos | 64 kbps | 1.9 MB |
| Podcast or interview | 96 kbps | 2.9 MB |
| Music from iTunes (256 kbps AAC) | 192 kbps | 5.8 MB |
| Music you will edit or archive | 320 kbps | 9.6 MB |
Voice Memos on iPhone can be shared straight to Files as .m4a; drag the file here from the Files app or from the Downloads folder on a computer.
M4A, AAC, MP4 audio: what the names mean
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| AAC | The audio codec (the way the sound is compressed) |
| M4A | An MP4 file that contains only audio, usually AAC |
| M4B | The same with chapter marks, used for audiobooks |
| M4P | AAC protected with Apple DRM (old iTunes purchases); cannot be converted |
| MP4 | A video file; its AAC soundtrack can be converted too |
How to use it
- Export the voice memo or music file from your phone (share to Files, AirDrop or email).
- Drop the .m4a or .aac file here.
- Choose a bitrate: 64 kbps for speech, 192 kbps for music.
- Click Convert and download the MP3.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting AAC to MP3 lose quality?
Slightly, because both are lossy. At 192 kbps or higher the difference is inaudible for nearly everyone. Voice recordings are unaffected in practice.
Why is my file rejected?
Files bought from the iTunes Store before 2009 (.m4p) are DRM-protected and cannot be decoded. Also check that the file is real AAC audio: some apps mislabel other formats as .m4a.
Can I convert an MP4 video with this tool?
Yes. An .mp4 file is accepted and only its audio track is used, the same as the Video to MP3 tool.
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