Save the audio from an MP4 as an M4A file that plays natively on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Drop a .mp4 file below and the output is already set to M4A.
1
Drag and drop your .mp4 file onto the box above, or click Choose Files. The request is already filled in: “Convert this to M4A”.
2
The AI assistant uses sensible defaults. To choose the bitrate, codec or sample rate yourself, say so in the request, for example “Convert this to M4A at 320 kbps”.
3
The assistant opens with your file and converts it on your own device; the file itself is never uploaded. When the M4A file is ready, click Save. Prefer to set everything by hand, or batch-convert several files into a ZIP? The classic converter is one click away on this page.
M4A is simply the audio half of the MP4 family, so MP4 to M4A is the natural way to extract sound from a video for Apple devices. The audio is encoded to AAC (or lossless ALAC if you choose it) and the resulting file drops straight into Apple Music, iTunes or GarageBand.
Compared with MP3, M4A/AAC delivers better fidelity at the same bitrate and supports proper metadata such as title, artist and album, which you can edit before converting.
MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14): MP4 is the most widely supported video container in the world. It usually carries H.264 or H.265 video with AAC audio, plays on every phone, browser, TV and editing app, and is the safest choice for sharing. It is best for sharing, social media, web playback and mobile devices.
M4A (MPEG-4 Audio): M4A is audio-only MP4, normally holding AAC (or lossless ALAC). It is the native format of iTunes, Apple Music and iPhone Voice Memos and sounds better than MP3 at the same bitrate. It is best for Apple devices, iTunes and voice memos.
In short: keep MP4 when the priority is sharing, social media, web playback and mobile devices, and switch to M4A when the file is headed for Apple devices, iTunes and voice memos. Need a different target? The full Video Converter supports every format listed below.
Usually yes. AAC in M4A sounds better than MP3 at the same bitrate, and you can pick ALAC to avoid a second lossy encode entirely. Both outputs are re-encoded from the MP4's audio; choose MP3 only when you need the widest possible device compatibility.
Convert to M4A, trim it to under 40 seconds with our cutter, then rename the extension to .m4r and add it through Finder or iTunes.
Yes. Converting MP4 to M4A on Convertor.video is free, with no watermark and no sign-up. The AI assistant runs on a free daily allowance of assistant credits; the classic converter on this page has no daily limit at all.
No. The conversion runs inside your browser using FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, so your .mp4 file is read and converted on your own device and never uploaded, which keeps private recordings private and means there is no waiting in an upload queue. The AI assistant only sees what you type and basic facts about the file: its name, format, duration and size.
There is no plan or account limit, but the converter loads the whole MP4 file into your browser's memory, so about 2 GB per file is the practical ceiling; larger files may fail to open. Long or high-resolution files also take longer, especially on phones.
Yes. Ask the AI assistant for a bitrate, codec or sample rate in your request. Audio track selection and every other setting are in the classic converter, one click away on this page.
M4A is a lossy format, so the MP4 audio is decoded and re-encoded. Keep the bitrate at 100% (or pick 256 to 320 kbps) and the difference is inaudible for almost all listeners.
It is built and tested on current desktop Chrome and Edge. The conversion itself runs in WebAssembly, which every current desktop browser supports, so speed depends mostly on your computer's processor.