How to Convert M4A to MP3 With VLC Player

By Andrew Schrader

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VLC Media Player is a free, open-source audio/video player and transcoder capable of converting to and from dozens of audio and video formats. Although M4A files (also known as AACs) are iTunes-specific files, VLC Media Player supports playback and conversion to other audio formats like MP3. Please note that since M4As are a high-quality, lossless audio file, you may experience some loss in quality, due to MP3 compression standards.

Step 01

Navigate to Videolan.org and download the latest version of VLC Media Player. Double-click the installation file, accept the terms of use, and open VLC.

Step 11

Click the "Media" tab at the top of VLC's main menu. Select the "Convert/Save" option to enter the "Open Media" screen.

Step 21

Click the "Add" button to open a new search window. Locate the M4A you want to convert and click "Open."

Step 31

Wait to be re-directed to the "Open Media" window. Click the "Convert/Save" button at the bottom-right of the screen.

Step 41

Press the "Browse" button next to the "Destination File" field. Select the location on your hard drive where you want to save your MP3. Name your file. Be sure to include the ".mp3" file extension at the end of the file name.

Step 51

Click "Save" to return to the "Convert" menu. Press the "Start" button to convert your M4A to MP3.

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