M4A vs MP3
A quick, plain-English comparison of the M4A and MP3 file formats — and how to convert between them, free and in your browser.
| M4A | MP3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | audio | audio |
| Extension | .m4a | .mp3 |
| MIME type | audio/mp4 | audio/mpeg |
| Converts to | 17 formats | 17 formats |
| Direction here | read & write | read & write |
Convert between M4A and MP3
M4A vs MP3: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between M4A and MP3?
MPEG-4 audio container (AAC/ALAC). Ubiquitous lossy compressed audio.
Should I use M4A or MP3?
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 M4A to MP3?
Open the M4A-to-MP3 converter, drop your M4A file in, and download the MP3. We auto-detect the real format from the file's bytes, so a mislabeled file still works.