How to convert 3GP to M4A (AAC/ALAC)
- 1
Upload your file
Drag and drop a file or click to select one. Keep this page open while the file uploads and converts.
- 2
Convert 3GP to M4A (AAC/ALAC)
NexMedia converts 3GP to M4A (AAC/ALAC) on its own servers. Processing time depends on the file size and how busy the queue is.
- 3
Download the converted file
When the conversion finishes, the download appears on this page. Your converted file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
About 3GP
3GP is a container format defined by the 3GPP for mobile phones. It is a simplified relative of MP4 that typically holds H.263 or H.264 video with AMR or AAC audio.
Videos recorded on older mobile phones, especially before smartphones.
3GP videos are usually low resolution and heavily compressed, and converting them cannot add detail.
Convert 3GP to M4A online free, no account required — M4A is an MPEG-4 audio file, usually holding AAC.
Change 3GP to M4A without losing quality — convert 3GP to M4A free in your browser.
Why is the video from my old phone so tiny and pixelated? 3GP was built for small low-resolution phone screens on slow mobile networks, so there is no detail in the file to recover — the source simply never had it.
About M4A (AAC/ALAC)
M4A is an MPEG-4 audio file: the MP4 container holding only audio, usually AAC and sometimes Apple Lossless (ALAC).
Music bought on iTunes, iPhone voice memos and many podcast downloads.
Whether an M4A is lossy or lossless depends on the codec inside, which the file extension does not show.
Why convert audio to M4A? It wraps efficient AAC audio with chapter marks and cover art in one small file that Apple, Android and Windows all play.
What changes when you convert 3GP to M4A
- The soundtrack of the 3GP is re-encoded as M4A at the default settings, so it is close to the original but not bit-identical.
- Only the sound is kept: the M4A file contains the audio track of your 3GP, and the picture is dropped.
Settings you can change
Before you convert 3GP to M4A, you can adjust: Audio codec, Rate control, Audio bitrate, Quality (VBR), Sample rate, Channels, Normalize loudness, Trim start, Trim duration, and Keep tags.
Limits
Each plan sets a maximum file size and a number of conversions per day, and video and audio files also have a maximum length. Guests can convert files up to 100 megabytes and 5 per day; a free account raises this to 500 megabytes and 25 per day; paid plans go up to 100 gigabytes.
Your converted M4A file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
3GP to M4A: questions and answers
Does converting 3GP to M4A reduce quality?
The soundtrack of the 3GP is re-encoded as M4A at the default settings, so it is close to the original but not bit-identical.
What is the difference between 3GP and M4A?
3GP is an older mobile-phone video format. M4A is an MPEG-4 audio file, usually holding AAC.
Can I change the settings when converting 3GP to M4A?
Before you convert 3GP to M4A, you can adjust: Audio codec, Rate control, Audio bitrate, Quality (VBR), Sample rate, Channels, Normalize loudness, Trim start, Trim duration, and Keep tags.
Do I need an account to convert 3GP to M4A?
No. You can convert 3GP to M4A without an account; signing in raises the file-size and daily limits.
How long is my converted M4A file kept?
The M4A file you convert from 3GP is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
When I convert 3GP to M4A, can I keep just the sound?
Only the sound is kept: the M4A file contains the audio track of your 3GP, and the picture is dropped.
Will converting 3GP to M4A change my original file?
No. The conversion reads your 3GP and writes a new M4A file, leaving your original 3GP file untouched.