M4A to MP3 converter
Turn an M4A file, the format of iPhone voice memos and most AAC downloads, into an MP3 that plays everywhere. Choose the quality and download the file. The conversion runs in your browser, so the recording is not uploaded anywhere.
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How it works
Drop the M4A on the page. Your browser decodes the AAC audio, this page resamples or mixes it if you asked for that, and an MP3 encoder running in a background thread writes the file. The result is saved from your own device.
Voice memos and recordings
A voice memo is usually mono at 44100 or 48000 Hz. Keep it mono and choose 64 or 96 kbps: speech stays clear and the file is small enough to send in a message. For an interview or a lecture that will be edited, 128 kbps leaves more room.
Music in M4A
Music bought or ripped as AAC converts at 192 to 320 kbps. Converting from one lossy format to another loses a little more each time, so choose a higher MP3 bitrate than the source had, and keep the M4A if you may need it again.
ALAC and protected files
Some M4A files hold Apple Lossless (ALAC) rather than AAC. Safari decodes ALAC; Chrome and Firefox do not, so on those browsers an ALAC file fails to convert. Files with copy protection (older iTunes Store purchases marked M4P) cannot be decoded by any browser.
From the label's own toolbox
BeatRootRaga is an independent label. Singers send ideas as voice memos and sessions want them as files every program opens, so this converter is used in the label's own work and is online for anyone.
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Latest guides
All guidesTeentaal: the 16-beat cycle of Hindustani music
Teentaal is a 16-beat Hindustani rhythmic cycle counted in four groups of four, with claps on 1, 5 and 13, and a wave on 9. Its theka, or basic tabla stroke pattern, is dha dhin dhin dha | dha dhin dhin dha | dha tin tin ta | ta dhin dhin dha.
Taal for beginners: teentaal, keherwa and dadra with clap patterns
A taal is a repeating rhythmic cycle: count 16 beats for teentaal, eight for keherwa, and six for dadra. For teentaal, clap on 1, 5 and 13, wave on 9; for keherwa, clap on 1, wave on 5; for dadra, clap on 1, wave on 4.
Rupak: the 7-beat taal that starts on khali
Rupak is a taal, or repeating rhythmic cycle, with seven beats grouped 3 + 2 + 2. Its opening closed strokes make sam, the first beat, sound light; this beat is khali, marked by a wave, rather than tali, marked by a clap.
Keherwa: the 8-beat taal of film songs, bhajans and folk
Keherwa is an eight-beat taal, or repeating rhythmic cycle, arranged as 4 + 4. To recognise it, listen for two groups of four, a lighter second half, and the recurring drum pattern: dha ge na ti | na ka dhin na.
Jhaptaal: the 10-beat taal
Jhaptaal is a taal, a repeating rhythmic cycle, with ten beats. Its four vibhags, or divisions, follow 2 + 3 + 2 + 3, alternating two-beat and three-beat groups.
Ektaal: the 12-beat taal of khayal
Ektaal is a twelve-beat taal, or repeating rhythmic cycle, divided into six two-beat sections called vibhags. Its stretched beats let the tabla player elaborate the stroke pattern in vilambit (slow-tempo) bada khayal, the slow opening composition of a khayal performance.
Questions people ask
Is the BeatRootRaga M4A to MP3 converter free, and is my recording uploaded?
Free, no account, and nothing is uploaded. The recording is decoded and the MP3 written inside your browser.
Which MP3 bitrate should I use for a voice memo?
64 or 96 kbps in mono keeps speech clear and the file small. Use 128 kbps if the recording will be edited later.
Why will my M4A file not convert to MP3?
Most often it is Apple Lossless (ALAC), which only Safari decodes, or a copy-protected purchase, which no browser decodes. Try Safari for ALAC; protected files need to be re-downloaded in an unprotected format.
Does converting AAC or M4A to MP3 lose quality?
A little, because both formats are lossy. Choosing a higher MP3 bitrate than the AAC source keeps the loss small; 256 or 320 kbps for music, 96 to 128 kbps for speech.
Can the M4A to MP3 converter keep the sample rate and channels?
Yes, both default to the same as the source. You can also set any rate from 8000 to 48000 Hz and mix down to mono or force stereo.