Convert Video to M4A
Pull the audio out of any video and save it as an M4A: AAC audio that iPhones, Macs and most players open natively. Nothing to install.
- Free to start
- Nothing to install
- Up to 1GB
How to convert Video to M4A
Upload your video
Drag and drop a video file to turn into M4A, or click to browse. Anything under 1GB, and nothing is installed.
Keep M4A selected
M4A is already selected for your video, first in the list. Pick MP3 or WAV instead if you change your mind.
Convert and download
We convert the video on our servers, usually in under a minute. Create a free account to download the M4A.
Why convert Video to M4A?
Start from whatever you already have: MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI, MKV, WMV, FLV and the rest all go in the same way.
Every source format has its own quirks, which is exactly why converting to one standard format is simpler.
M4A solves that. Better quality than MP3 at the same bitrate, and native on Apple devices.
The M4A that comes back is AAC-LC with a 192 kbps target, at the sample rate and with the channels of the audio in your video: a stereo track lands at about 192 kbps and a mono one lower, about 149 kbps for speech in our tests. Most MP4 and MOV files already carry AAC, and this is still a fresh encode of it rather than a copy of the original track.
Container
Typical codecs
Best for
Plays on
File size
| Feature | Video | M4A |
|---|---|---|
| Container | Any common container | MPEG-4 audio |
| Typical codecs | MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI, MKV and more | AAC (lossy) or ALAC (lossless) |
| Best for | Whatever you already have on disk | Voice memos and Apple audio exports |
| Plays on | Varies by format | Apple devices natively, most others too |
| File size | Varies by format | Slightly smaller than MP3 at the same quality |
Video to M4A questions
Is the Video to M4A converter free?
Yes. Convert and preview the result for free, then create a free account to download it. There is no per-file charge, and nothing is added to the sound of the M4A.
Do I need to install any software?
No. The conversion runs on our servers and you use it from a browser tab, so it works the same on Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and Android. Nothing to install at either end. Where Video plays: Varies by format. Where the M4A you get back plays: Apple devices natively, most others too.
Does converting Video to M4A reduce the quality?
The audio track is decoded from the video and written as M4A. M4A is a lossy format, so there is a small re-encode, inaudible for speech at the default quality. The picture is discarded entirely, which is why the file gets so much smaller.
How large a file can I convert?
Anything under 1GB per upload, which is more footage in some formats than others. Video: Varies by format. M4A coming back: Slightly smaller than MP3 at the same quality. For anything bigger, trim or compress it first, both are free tools here.
Is my file kept private?
Your upload is processed and then held only as long as your project needs it. Nothing is published, indexed or shared unless you create a share link yourself.
What codec and bitrate is the M4A?
AAC-LC, encoded with a 192 kbps target. Stereo audio comes out at about 192 kbps. A mono track comes out lower: about 149 kbps for speech and 121 kbps for a plain tone in our tests. The sample rate is the one in your video.
Should I pick M4A or MP3 for the audio from a video?
M4A when the file is going to an iPhone, a Mac or anything else recent: AAC keeps a little more detail than MP3 at the same bitrate. MP3 when it is going to an older car stereo or an upload form that only lists MP3. Both are in the panel, one click apart.
Other formats
Everything else you can do here.
Every conversion for a format
Convert to MP4
Convert to WebM
Convert to AVI
Convert to WMV
Convert to 3GP
Convert to M4V
Convert to MPEG
Convert to GIF
Convert to MP3
Convert to WAV
Convert Video to M4A now
Free, nothing to install, and the file stays open in a full video editor afterwards.