Convert Audio
100% private — runs on your device, never uploaded. Works offline once loaded.
Every format is a trade between size, quality and what will actually open it. MP3 plays on everything ever made and is the safe answer when someone just needs the file. M4A (AAC) sounds better at the same bitrate and is what Apple devices record. WAV is uncompressed — perfect quality, enormous files — and is what editing software and voice-recognition tools want. FLAC is lossless like WAV but about half the size, for archiving. OGG is the open-format choice. Converting between lossy formats always loses a little, so go back to the highest-quality copy you have rather than converting a converted file. This also accepts a video and keeps only its sound.
What each format is actually for
- MP3 — the universal format. Thirty years old, patent-free since 2017, and refused by nothing. Use it whenever the file is going to another person.
- M4A (AAC) — meaningfully better than MP3 at the same bitrate, and what iPhones, QuickTime and most Apple software record. Occasionally refused by older hardware and upload forms.
- WAV — every sample stored uncompressed. What editors, game engines and speech-recognition tools want, at roughly ten times the size.
- FLAC — lossless like WAV, about half the size, and it carries tags properly. The right choice for an archive.
- OGG Vorbis — open format, good quality, well supported on the web and in games, less so on consumer hardware.
Generation loss, and how to avoid it
Lossy formats work by discarding what a model of human hearing says you will not miss. Decode and re-encode, and the second pass has to make those judgements again — this time about audio that has already been thinned out. Do it a few times and the result is audibly smeared, especially on cymbals, reverb tails and sibilance.
The practical rule: always convert from the best copy you have, never from a copy of a copy. Converting WAV or FLAC to MP3 is one clean generation. Converting an MP3 to M4A and back again is three. If you are going to edit, convert to WAV first, edit, then make one lossy file at the end.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert a video file and keep just the sound?
Yes — drop in an MP4, MOV or WebM and the picture is discarded. It is the same job as the Video to MP3 tool, with more output formats to choose from.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed cap. The limit is your device’s memory, since the file is processed in the page rather than on a server.
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