The M4A file format forms part of the MP4 specification, specifically the audio stream of the Mp4 format. .m4a files are essentially audio only bit streams encoded using the audio codecs from the MPEG-4 Part 14 specification. Audio encoding can be accomplished using algorithms from the lossy family or lossless family of codecs. One of the design goals of the M4A audio format was to achieve a high level compression ratio without sacrificing audio quality. In this regard, it was intended that the format would succeed the MP3 file format. Although it has done this from a technical standpoint, the MP3 format continues to be widely used.
The data compression to get a lossless audio, a file format and an algorithm used is APE, also known as Monkey's Audio. This compression can retain data and not suffer losses during its compression as opposed to the other compressions with losses such as MP3, Musepack, ACC, and Vorbis. It encodes and compresses the audio to reduce transfer time, storage space. The audio extension APE is used for an audio file to track the metadata. The format is available freely for users possessing media players and playback plugins.
FreeFileConvert uses tuned encoding for M4A to APE conversions, preserving clarity while trimming file size. Finished audio streams instantly across phones, tablets, desktops, and modern browsers without extra tweaks.
Upload M4A files from desktop, tablet, or cloud storage, queue multiple jobs, and let the converter finish autonomously. Return whenever convenient to download synchronized APE results on any device you rely on.
Process up to 5 files sized 1000 MB per batch without splitting queues manually. Mixed-format uploads convert together, producing consistent APE audio with dependable progress tracking.
Typically an m4a audio stream is encoded using the lossy Advanced Audio Coding format or AAC compression format which has a minimal tradeoff of audio quality in favor for storage size. In situations where maximum quality is required, the Apple Lossless Audio Codec or ALAC can be used.
The source code for APE is not considered as an open source. It has a symmetrical algorithm, a process of an encoding comparable decoding which makes the files not suitable for fast players for example Rockbox. To cover this, an independent GPL code is written for and is added in FFmpeg. It also provides limited support to software other than the ones for Windows.
Upload your audio file in the M4A format from your device, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Select APE as the output format and click Convert. Adjust optional settings if needed.
Download the converted audio file. Each file stays available for up to 5 downloads.