Compress WMA to M4A

WMA files are already compressed, but M4A can compress further at a different bitrate. The size reduction is significant for sharing, uploading, and storage.

For email attachments, 128-192kbps works well. For music sharing, use 256-320kbps. AudioUtils lets you drop your file and convert instantly. No upload to a server, no waiting.

Expect a similar file size; the reason to convert is playback and workflow, not disk. WMA already discarded data; M4A will discard a little more. Pick 192–320 kbps and it won't be audible in normal listening.

Where does a WMA file even come from? Usually CDs ripped in Windows Media Player during the 2000s, when it was the Windows default. The catch is that WMA has been abandoned — macOS, iPhones, most Android apps, car stereos and smart speakers all skip it. M4A is the destination because it plays essentially everywhere — iPhone Voice Memos and every ordinary phone, browser, and player. Sizes are comparable: WMA and M4A both sit near 1.2–1.2 MB per stereo minute, so this conversion is about compatibility, not storage. Both WMA and M4A are lossy, so this pair stacks a second encode — at a generous bitrate it stays inaudible, but if a lossless original of the WMA exists, encode the M4A from that instead.