How to convert AAC to M4A (AAC/ALAC)
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Upload your file
Drag and drop a file or click to select one. Keep this page open while the file uploads and converts.
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Convert AAC to M4A (AAC/ALAC)
NexMedia converts AAC to M4A (AAC/ALAC) on its own servers. Processing time depends on the file size and how busy the queue is.
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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 AAC
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is the lossy audio codec standardised in MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 as the successor to MP3; at the same bitrate it generally sounds better than MP3.
It is the audio in most MP4 videos, in Apple Music and on YouTube; a .aac file is a bare AAC stream without a container.
A bare .aac stream has only limited room for tags and cover art, so music players usually expect AAC inside an M4A file.
Convert AAC to M4A online free, no account required — M4A is an MPEG-4 audio file, usually holding AAC.
Change AAC to M4A without losing quality — convert AAC to M4A free in your browser.
Why won't my old MP3 player or car stereo play AAC files? Older hardware was built before AAC became common and often only decodes MP3, so a conversion keeps the music playable anywhere.
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 AAC to M4A
- The audio is decoded and re-encoded as M4A at the default settings, so the result is close to the AAC but not bit-identical.
Settings you can change
Before you convert AAC 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.
AAC to M4A: questions and answers
Does converting AAC to M4A reduce quality?
The audio is decoded and re-encoded as M4A at the default settings, so the result is close to the AAC but not bit-identical.
What is the difference between AAC and M4A?
AAC is the lossy audio codec that succeeded MP3. M4A is an MPEG-4 audio file, usually holding AAC.
Can I change the settings when converting AAC to M4A?
Before you convert AAC 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 AAC to M4A?
No. You can convert AAC 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 AAC is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
When I convert AAC to M4A, is the audio re-encoded?
The audio is decoded and re-encoded as M4A at the default settings, so the result is close to the AAC but not bit-identical.
Will converting AAC to M4A change my original file?
No. The conversion reads your AAC and writes a new M4A file, leaving your original AAC file untouched.