Format comparison
M4A vs MP3
By Suprabhat Updated How we write these
The short answer
M4A (AAC audio) sounds a little better than MP3 at the same bitrate and is the default for iPhones and iTunes. MP3 is older and slightly less efficient, but every car stereo, speaker and player ever made can play it.
MPEG-4 Audio
Choose M4A when
- Apple devices and apps
- Best quality at lower bitrates
- Voice memos and podcasts from an iPhone
MPEG-1 Audio Layer III
Choose MP3 when
- Older car stereos, MP3 players and speakers
- Maximum compatibility
- Uploading to services that ask for MP3
Side by side
| Property | M4A | MP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 Audio | MPEG-1 Audio Layer III |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
| Audio | — | — |
| Typical quality | 128–256 kbps AAC | 128–320 kbps |
| Typical size | About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps | About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps, 2.4 MB at 320 kbps |
| Support | Almost everywhere | Opens everywhere |
| Opens on | Apple devices, Android, browsers and most players; some older car stereos, Windows apps and forms refuse it | Every phone, computer, car stereo, speaker and app |
| Best for | Good-sounding audio at small sizes | Music and voice that has to play on anything |
| Introduced | 2003 | 1993 |
Watch out with M4A
An .m4a can also hold lossless ALAC audio, several times larger; the extension alone doesn’t tell you which.
Watch out with MP3
Converting a low-bitrate MP3 to 320 kbps makes it bigger without making it sound any better; what was thrown away is gone.
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Questions
Is M4A better than MP3?
M4A (AAC audio) sounds a little better than MP3 at the same bitrate and is the default for iPhones and iTunes. MP3 is older and slightly less efficient, but every car stereo, speaker and player ever made can play it.
Which is smaller, M4A or MP3?
M4A is usually smaller for the same content. M4A: About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps. MP3: About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps, 2.4 MB at 320 kbps.
How do I convert M4A to MP3?
Use the free M4A to MP3 converter. It runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded.
How do I convert MP3 to M4A?
Use the free MP3 to M4A converter. It works the same way, entirely on your device.
More format comparisons
- Format comparison
MP3 vs WAV: which should you use?
WAV is uncompressed, perfect audio about ten times the size of an MP3. MP3 at 192 kbps or more sounds the same to almost everyone, so use it for listening and sharing, and WAV for recording, editing and mastering. - Format comparison
FLAC vs MP3: which should you use?
FLAC is lossless: it keeps CD quality in roughly half the space of WAV. MP3 throws detail away to be about a fifth of FLAC’s size. Keep FLAC as your archive and convert to MP3 for phones, cars and sharing. - Format comparison
FLAC vs WAV: which should you use?
FLAC and WAV sound identical, bit for bit. FLAC is compressed without loss to about half the size and carries proper tags and artwork; WAV is uncompressed and opens in every audio editor. - Format comparison
OGG vs MP3: which should you use?
Ogg Vorbis is an open format that sounds a little better than MP3 at the same bitrate and is common in games and on Android. MP3 plays on far more devices, so it is the safer choice for anything you share.