What is M4A?
The M4A file is short for MPEG-4 Audio, and not to be confused with MP4 or MP3. Apple developed M4A as a file container for audio media, including songs, audiobooks and podcasts. Compared to MP3s, M4As have better sound quality — but they also have larger file sizes than MP3s. M4A files can only store audio as well, unlike MP4 files which can store audio and video.
To play an M4A file, you can use Apple Music, iTunes, Windows Media Player, VLC and more.
What is MP3?
An MP3 is a digital audio file that’s compressed so it’s easy to store and transfer. It’s a lossy format, meaning it drops some of the audio’s sound when it’s compressed. Most of this dropped sound is inaudible when you play it back, however. MP3 files can be about one-tenth the size of lossless audio files, making them easy to share, store and play back on most devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to convert M4A to MP3 online?
- Choose a M4A file from your computer or drag and drop it into Restream’s audio converter.
- Select Convert and the converter will start processing.
- Download your MP3 file when it’s ready.
Will my file lose quality when I convert M4A to MP3?
Depending on which file type you’re starting with, you might lose a little bit of quality when converting to MP3, but it’s such a small amount that it’s not noticeable.
Is MP3 better than M4A?
M4A files usually have higher audio quality than MP3 and the files are about the same size. One downside to M4A, however, is that it’s not as widely used as MP3.