How-To Geek Forums / Windows Vista
How do I change a file from M4A to mp3?
(17 posts)
@LH, I don't understand the need to change the filename. A .m4a file is an AAC audio stream in a MPEG-4 audio container. That doesn't change when the filename changes -- it's defined by the data in the file's header. My .m4a files play in WMP. I just verified this with XP + WMP10 and Win7 + WMP12.
@stonecold2129, what kind of MP3 player do you have? Are you able to sync .mp3 files to it with WMP? Do your .m4a files play in WMP?
@ScottW. This goes back a couple of years. I converted a whole bunch of CD's (he wanted MP3 copies) for a friend. Most of them were .cda, but there was one with .m4a files on it (that wouldn't play). After a search on the net I found about the renaming to .mp3, and they played. Things may have changed.
LH, I see. I just don't want anyone reading this to think that changing the filename will somehow change the contents of a file. A player that can't handle AAC audio won't play a .m4a file no matter what you call it.
Or, as Juliet would say, "That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet." :-)
FormatFactory converts to and from Mp3 and M4A.
stonecold, well your Zen V Plus won't play .m4a audio tracks or any AAC audio streams (even if you rename them :). I have a Zen Vision:M, so I'm familiar with the brand. You will need to convert the .m4a files to .mp3 or .wma in order to transfer them to your player. You can use a stand-alone converter, such as FormatFactory to do the conversion.
What program do you use to sync tracks to your player? If you are using MediaSource 5, it won't handle .m4a files, unfortunately. However, there are other apps that could convert the m4a files and sync them to your player. MediaMonkey, for example, might be able to do this and probably some others.
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