Convert M4A to MP3 Without iTunes
You don't need iTunes. You don't need any software. Open your browser, drop the M4A file, convert to MP3 in seconds.
Drop your M4A file here or click to browse
M4A (.m4a) · Max 20 MB
The old advice for M4A to MP3 was always the same: do it in iTunes. Open preferences, switch the import encoder to MP3, find the song, click 'Create MP3 version', then dig the new file out of your library folder. Six steps, settings you have to remember to switch back, and a copy buried in Apple's folder structure.
That advice aged badly. Apple retired iTunes on the Mac in 2019 — the Music app that replaced it hides the same conversion deeper in its menus, and it only works on files you've imported into your library first. On Windows, iTunes still exists but is effectively frozen. And none of it was ever available on a phone or a Chromebook at all.
The browser route replaces all of that: open this page, drop the M4A, click convert, download the MP3. Three steps, no library import, no encoder settings, no software — and it works identically on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, and Android.
There is also a quality-control advantage. iTunes' converter used your global import settings, which most people never touched — so conversions silently came out at whatever bitrate was configured years ago. Here you pick the bitrate per file: 128-192 kbps for voice memos, 256-320 kbps for music, chosen at the moment you convert.
Privacy works the same as iTunes did, despite this being a web page: the conversion runs locally in your browser via WebAssembly, so your file never leaves your machine. You get the no-upload behavior of desktop software without installing any.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert M4A to MP3 now that iTunes is gone?
Use the converter above — drop the M4A, pick a bitrate, download the MP3. iTunes was retired on the Mac in 2019; its replacement (the Music app) still has a converter but requires importing files into your library and changing import settings first.
Can the Music app still convert M4A to MP3?
On a Mac, yes — Music → Settings → Files → Import Settings → MP3 Encoder, then File → Convert → Create MP3 Version. It only works on library-imported files and uses your global import bitrate. The browser route skips all of that.
Does this work on Windows without installing iTunes?
Yes — that's the point. Windows users historically installed all of iTunes just for its converter. This runs in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox with nothing installed.
Is the quality different from converting in iTunes?
The mechanics are the same — decode the AAC, re-encode to MP3. The difference is control: iTunes used whatever global import bitrate was configured; here you choose per file. Pick 256-320 kbps for music and the result matches or beats a default iTunes conversion.
Do I lose my original M4A?
No. The converter reads the file and produces a new MP3 alongside it — the original M4A on your device is untouched, just as iTunes' 'Create MP3 version' kept both copies.
About M4A
Apple's preferred audio format. Better quality than MP3 at same bitrate. Default for iTunes and Apple devices.
About MP3
The most widely used audio format. Great compatibility, small file size. Ideal for music, podcasts, and general use.