How to convert M4A files to MP3

Amelie Looker
3 Min To Read
Thursday, Feb 18, 2021

If you’ve ever downloaded songs from iTunes or Apple Music, you’re probably familiar with the M4A format. Although these files can be convenient, when talking about general compatibility with music players, it can be a rather limited resource. That’s why it’s a good idea to know how to convert M4A files to MP3, as this format is more versatile, popular and compatible with the various devices on the market.

Step 1: select an M4A file

Go to the Cloud Convert home page, click the gray Select Files button and then select the M4A file you want to convert. Alternatively, click and drag the file you want to convert from your saved location into the conversion window of the site.

Clicking the Select Files button directly will open a view of your system’s File Explorer, from which you can select your file. Clicking the button down will allow you to select from a number of other sources, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box and a URL.

Step 2: Customize output settings

Once you have selected your file, you will be presented with the conversion options screen. Click the file format arrow and select the MP3 option from the list of audio formats.

Unless specified, Cloud Convert will automatically convert your file to MP3 at a variable bit rate of between 220 kbps and 250kbps. Like iTunes, you can click the wrench icon next to the drop-down menu to adjust the file’s output settings. From there, you can change the number of audio channels, sample rate and more. Once you are satisfied with your settings, click the blue OK button in the bottom right corner.

Step 3: Convert

Click the red Start Conversion button on the right side. When the conversion process is finished, which should take about 10 seconds for most files, your file will be available for download.

Step 4: Download your new MP3

The green download button indicates that your MP3 file is now available. You can click the button directly and your file will be saved to your default download folders. The options available in the drop down arrow include creating a QR code for downloading to a mobile device. If you click the Create Archive drop-down button, you can also include the files in a compressed archive of various types.

Alternative: Apple Music app for macOS

MacOS users can also use the Apple Music app to convert their M4A files to MP3.

To use it, open the Preferences menu and modify its import settings to use MP3 Encoder. Then, simply select the file you want to convert from your music library. Click File, then Convert, followed by Create MP3 version. After that, the Apple Music app will do all the heavy lifting for you.