AAC vs M4A
A quick, plain-English comparison of the AAC and M4A file formats — and how to convert between them, free and in your browser.
| AAC | M4A | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | audio | audio |
| Extension | .aac | .m4a |
| MIME type | audio/aac | audio/mp4 |
| Converts to | 17 formats | 17 formats |
| Direction here | read & write | read & write |
Convert between AAC and M4A
AAC vs M4A: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between AAC and M4A?
Advanced Audio Coding (lossy, MP3 successor). MPEG-4 audio container (AAC/ALAC).
Should I use AAC or M4A?
Both are audio formats — the right one depends on compatibility, quality and file size for your use. Whichever you have, you can convert it to the other below in seconds.
How do I convert AAC to M4A?
Open the AAC-to-M4A converter, drop your AAC file in, and download the M4A. We auto-detect the real format from the file's bytes, so a mislabeled file still works.