WMA to M4A Converter

Convert Windows Media Audio files into M4A — the format iTunes, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Music all read natively. Get your old WMA library off Windows-only playback and into Apple's ecosystem.

WMAM4A

Drop your WMA file here or click to browse

WMA (.wma) · Max 20 MB

Free — 10-second preview, 5 conversions/month. Upgrade for unlimited

What is WMA?

Windows Media Audio. Microsoft's format. Common on older Windows systems and devices.

What is M4A?

Apple's preferred audio format. Better quality than MP3 at same bitrate. Default for iTunes and Apple devices.

Why Convert WMA to M4A?

WMA is Microsoft's legacy lossy format, designed for Windows Media Player and the Zune ecosystem (RIP). It's widely incompatible: iPhones don't play it, iTunes won't import it without conversion, Macs need third-party plugins, and most modern Bluetooth headphones and car stereos skip it entirely. M4A — AAC audio inside an MP4 container — is the modern Apple-friendly equivalent and plays on virtually every phone, tablet, computer, smart speaker, and car system shipped in the last 15 years. Converting a WMA library to M4A is the standard first step when migrating from Windows-only setups (or a long-dormant Zune library) to an iPhone or any modern device. Quality consideration: WMA is already lossy, and M4A is also lossy, so the conversion is lossy-to-lossy. To minimise audible loss, encode the M4A at a higher bitrate than the source WMA — 192 kbps M4A from a 128 kbps WMA, 256 kbps from a 192 kbps WMA. Going lower than the source bitrate compounds the artifacts. For music, target 192 kbps minimum; for voice content, 128 kbps is fine.

Who Uses This Converter

Migrate from Windows to iPhone

Move an old WMA-based music library onto an iPhone or iPad. M4A imports straight into the Music app and Apple Music; WMA does not.

Modernise a Zune-era library

Old Zune and Windows Media Player libraries are frozen in WMA. Convert to M4A once and play on any modern device.

iTunes / Apple Music import

iTunes refuses WMA but accepts M4A directly. Convert before importing to skip the conversion-on-import that older iTunes versions did poorly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not just convert WMA to MP3?

MP3 is more universally supported but produces larger files than M4A at the same quality. If you're moving to an Apple device or library (iPhone, iTunes, Apple Music), M4A is the native format and integrates better. If hardware compatibility (older car stereos, cheap MP3 players) matters more, MP3 is the safer pick.

What M4A bitrate should I use?

192 kbps (VBR or CBR) is the sweet spot for music — small files, transparent quality versus most WMAs. 256 kbps if your WMA is high-bitrate (192 kbps+) and quality matters. 128 kbps is fine for voice, audiobooks, and casual listening.

Will my WMA tags transfer?

Basic tags (title, artist, album, year, genre) transfer. WMA's extended tags (writer, content provider, station, etc.) may not map cleanly. For curated libraries, verify with Mp3tag or MusicBrainz Picard after batch conversion.

Does WMA Lossless convert any differently?

If your file is WMA Lossless (rare, but possible from old Windows Media Player rips), the conversion to M4A goes through PCM, then to AAC. You lose the lossless quality in the AAC encode, but you gain compatibility. Convert WMA Lossless to ALAC (Apple Lossless) or FLAC instead if quality matters most.

Will the M4A play on Windows too?

Yes. Windows Media Player on Windows 10/11 plays M4A natively, as do VLC, Foobar2000, MusicBee, and most Windows audio apps. M4A is a superset of compatibility versus WMA — you don't lose Windows playback by switching.

What about DRM-protected WMA?

Old WMA files purchased from MSN Music or similar services may have DRM. Browser-based converters cannot remove DRM — that requires playback through an authorised app on a registered device. If conversion fails on a specific WMA, DRM is the most likely cause.