M4A file

This page contains information on the M4A file extension (MPEG-4 Audio Layer), a popular audio file format

File extension	.m4a
Category	Audio File
Description	M4A files are a type of audio file developed and popularised by Apple. Since 2007, music purchased through the iTunes store has been in m4a format, therefore accounting for over 15 billions files worldwide. MP4 and M4A files are often confused, and the two are quite similar, being both based on the MPEG-4 codec. However, M4A is a file comprising solely of audio, whereas MP4 may also contain video.
Actions	Convert M4A file View other audio file formats
Technical Details	M4A files are superior to MP3 in terms of the scale of compression and audio quality. The M4A file uses Apple's codec and resides within the MPEG-4 container. The main benefit of M4A is that files are compressed but are lossless. This means they can be decoded back to the original quality they were at the point of compression. Another benefit of M4A files are that do not carry any Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection associated with other files meaning they are less restricted.
Associated programs	Apple QuickTime Player Apple iTunes Microsoft Windows Media Player
Developed by	Apple
MIME type	audio/mp4a-latm
Useful links	Detailed guide to M4A More detail on the MPEG4 format Convert M4A file

Using Zamzar it is possible to convert M4A files to a variety of other formats