M4A to WAV converter
Convert M4A to WAV in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your audio never leaves your device.
Last updated
Quick answer: To convert M4A to WAV, add the M4A file to the iHateFiles M4A to WAV converter and press Convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up, watermark or size limit. A lossless target, so nothing is thrown away in this step.
From a voice memo to an editor
Phone recordings are usually M4A, and a lot of audio software, along with many speech and transcription tools, would rather have WAV.
The quality stays as it was recorded and the file gets a lot larger: about 10 MB a minute, against around 1 MB for a typical voice memo.
Should you convert M4A to WAV?
Do this when an editor, DAW or device needs WAV. It will not make the M4A sound any better, and the file grows several times over.
WAV will not restore what M4A removed
WAV stores every sample exactly, including the damage M4A compression already did. Expect about 10 MB per minute instead of 1 to 1.9 MB, for audio that sounds identical. Do it because an editor or device needs WAV, not to improve the sound.
Track details may not follow
M4A carries artist, album and cover art tags well. WAV has little or no room for them, so a music library that relies on tags may show the WAV as an untitled file.
Where the WAV will play
WAV plays on every editor, DAW and operating system.
M4A and WAV side by side
| M4A | WAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the file | AAC | uncompressed PCM |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless |
| Carries sound | Yes | Yes |
| One minute of stereo | 1 to 1.9 MB | about 10 MB |
| Plays on | Apple devices, Android, browsers and most modern players | every editor, DAW and operating system |
| Here | Read and write | Read and write |
What usually goes wrong
About the M4A. M4A, M4B, M4R and AAC are largely the same thing with different extensions. Renaming usually works, though it is not something to rely on.
About the WAV. Converting an MP3 to WAV makes the file ten times larger without recovering anything. The detail the MP3 discarded is gone.
How to convert M4A to WAV
- Add your M4A file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to WAV.
- Press convert and the WAV file is saved back to your device.
WAV converter: everything that converts to WAV
Questions
How do I convert M4A to WAV?
Open this page, add your M4A file, and press convert. The file is decoded and re-encoded by your own browser and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Is this M4A to WAV converter free?
Yes, completely. There is no account, no sign-in, no watermark and no daily limit, because there is no server doing the work. Your own device does it.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. There is no upload endpoint. The conversion runs inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device. You can open your browser's network panel and watch: nothing carrying your file is sent.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Because the work happens on your machine there is no server quota. The only ceiling is your own device's memory, which for video means very large files may be slow.
Will converting to WAV lose quality?
WAV is lossless, so this step throws nothing away. If the original was already a lossy format, the damage it did cannot be undone, but nothing further is lost.
Can I convert several M4A files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.