Convert WAV to M4A on Mac
Select the WAV files in Finder, press ⌥ F, choose M4A and press Return. FileFlip saves each M4A next to its original and works without an internet connection.
How to convert WAV to M4A with FileFlip
Select the WAV files
In Finder or on the Desktop. One file, or a whole folder with ⌘ A.
Press ⌥ F
FileFlip opens next to the selection and lists the formats it can make from WAV. Type “M4A” to jump to it.
Choose M4A and press Return
The M4A files appear next to the originals with the same names. The WAV files stay as they are.
WAV and M4A
WAV is uncompressed, so recordings take far more space than they need for listening. M4A with AAC gives small files that still sound good and play on Apple devices and most others.
What changes when you convert
- M4A is lossy: the file gets much smaller and some fine detail is discarded. At high quality settings the difference is hard to notice.
| Property | WAV | M4A |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Waveform Audio File Format | MPEG-4 Audio with AAC |
| Made by | Microsoft and IBM | MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) |
| Compression | Uncompressed | Lossy (AAC) |
| Best for | Recording, editing and audio apps that need raw sound | Music, podcasts and voice recordings |
| Opens in | Every audio app and operating system | Apple devices, Android, Windows and most players |
| File extension | .wav | .m4a |
| In FileFlip | Opens and saves | Opens and saves |
Other ways on a Mac
For one file now and then you may not need FileFlip. These work with what’s already on your Mac.
Music
In the Music app, choose Music → Settings → Files → Import Settings and set Import Using to AAC Encoder. Then select the songs and choose File → Convert → Create AAC Version.
The songs have to be in your Music library.
QuickTime Player
Open the file in QuickTime Player and choose File → Export As → Audio Only. QuickTime saves an .m4a file.
Good for one file at a time.
Terminal
afconvert is Apple’s command-line audio converter.
afconvert -f m4af -d aac podcast-ep12.wav podcast-ep12.m4aBuilt into macOS and good for scripts.
Questions about WAV and M4A
Does converting WAV to M4A lose quality?
M4A is lossy: the file gets much smaller and some fine detail is discarded. At high quality settings the difference is hard to notice.
Can I convert many WAV files at once?
Yes. Select them all in Finder, press ⌥ F and choose M4A. Progress moves to the menu bar, so you can close the panel and keep working.
Where does M4A play?
Apple devices, Android, Windows and most players.
Where is the M4A file saved?
Next to the original, with the same name and the .m4a extension. The WAV file isn’t changed. In Settings you can choose a different folder instead.
Can I convert M4A back to WAV?
Yes, FileFlip converts M4A to WAV as well.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. FileFlip converts files on your Mac and works with the internet turned off.
Convert a whole album at once
FileFlip also handles images, camera raw files, video, PDFs, documents and data files. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Coming soon for Mac