Convert M4A to AAC

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Converting M4A to AAC is free: drop your M4A above, hit convert, and download the AAC. Files delete themselves within an hour.

M4A and AAC are both lossy formats, so flipping M4A to AAC is really about compatibility: getting your audio into a shape the stubborn device or app will actually take. Where M4A struggles with older Windows software and stubborn car stereos that expect a .mp3, AAC earns its keep: it's built for streaming-grade sound at friendly file sizes.

FYI

Small print: M4A and AAC are both lossy, so every re-encode shaves off a little more. Convert once, from the best source you have: not repeatedly.

Why flip M4A to AAC

M4A is AAC in Apple's favorite outfit: the audio-only MP4 your iPhone speaks natively. It was born in 2003, popularized by Apple's iTunes Store, and its real weak spot is older Windows software and stubborn car stereos that expect a .mp3.

AAC is MP3's better-trained successor: cleaner sound from the same number of bits. Advanced Audio Coding: the default soundtrack of YouTube, iTunes and most MP4 video. That makes it the right destination when what you need is streaming-grade sound at friendly file sizes.

How to convert M4A to AAC

1
Drop your M4A file into the flipper above, or click to browse for it.
2
Check the output format: AAC is already selected for you.
3
Hit Convert, give it a moment, then download your new AAC.

M4A vs AAC, side by side

	M4A	AAC
Born	2003, popularized by Apple's iTunes Store	1997, an MPEG all-star team: Fraunhofer, Dolby, Sony, AT&T and Nokia
Type	audio · lossy	audio · lossy
Best for	sounding great anywhere in the Apple ecosystem	streaming-grade sound at friendly file sizes
Weak spot	older Windows software and stubborn car stereos that expect a .mp3	older or stubborn hardware that only ever learned MP3
Typical size	like AAC: better-than-MP3 sound at about 1 MB per minute	similar to MP3, but it sounds better at the same bitrate: or the same at about 25% smaller
Plays on	iPhone, Mac and iTunes natively; most modern Android and Windows apps too.	Apple everything, YouTube, Android, modern players; patchy on legacy gear.

Questions people ask

Will converting M4A to AAC lose quality?

A small amount: both formats are lossy, so re-encoding trims a little detail. Converting once at a decent bitrate keeps it inaudible for most ears.

Will the AAC file be bigger or smaller than my M4A?

In the same neighborhood: AAC runs similar to MP3, but it sounds better at the same bitrate: or the same at about 25% smaller, and you control the bitrate.

Where will the AAC file play?

Apple everything, YouTube, Android, modern players; patchy on legacy gear. That's the usual reason people leave M4A behind: AAC simply opens in more of the places that matter.

How long does M4A to AAC conversion take?

Seconds for most files: audio is light work. A long recording might take a minute; your file auto-deletes from our servers within an hour either way.

More ways to handle these formats

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