Forum Discussion
How can I convert m4a to mp3 on my Windows 11 PC?
It is not an easy job as Windows Media Player doesn't support this by default. Fortunately, you can follow this helpful tutorial to get it done in a few minutes:
You can convert M4A to MP3 on a Windows 11 PC using built-in Windows tools, without installing complex third-party software. One of the simplest options many users already have is Windows Media Player.
Convert M4A to MP3 using Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player doesn’t have a one-click “convert” button, but it can change M4A to MP3 by ripping the audio to a different format.
Steps:
- Open Windows Media Player on your Windows 11 PC
- Click Organize → Options → Rip Music
- Under Rip settings, set the format to MP3
- Choose an audio quality level (192 kbps or higher for better sound)
- Click OK to save the settings
- Add your .m4a files to the Media Library
- Select the files, then choose Rip CD / Rip (WMP will re-encode them as MP3)
- Open the output folder to confirm the converted MP3 files
This method works well for basic convert M4A to MP3 tasks and doesn’t require extra downloads, though it can be slower for large batches.
If you want a faster or simpler option:
If you frequently need to convert M4A to MP3 or work with multiple formats, some users prefer a dedicated audio conver ter. Tune Fab Music Conver ter is often mentioned as an alternative because it includes a free audio file format conver ter that supports MP3, M4A, FLAC, WAV, and AIFF, and can handle batch conver sions more efficiently.
In short, Windows Media Player is a practical built-in way to change M4A to MP3 on Windows 11, while dedicated conver ters can save time if you do this often.
When I open my Windows Media Player on Windows 11, I cannot find "Organize" "Options" or "Rip Music." I think the ap I'm using is from before I converted from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Was that a different ap? What should I do?
You’re not doing anything wrong — this is actually a Windows 11 quirk.
There are two different Windows Media Player apps in Windows 11:
- the new Windows Media Player (from the Microsoft Store), which only plays media and doesn’t support ripping or converting
- Windows Media Player Legacy, which still has Rip settings
However, even in Windows Media Player Legacy, the Rip feature only works with audio CDs, not with existing .m4a files in your library. That’s why you only see Play and Burn — WMP can’t convert M4A files directly.
So if your files are already in M4A format, Windows Media Player (new or legacy) won’t convert them to MP3.
Your options at that point are:
- use a dedicated audio convert er (many people use tools like Tune Fab or similar)
- or an online convert er if you only have a few files
In short: WMP is fine for ripping CDs, but it’s not a true M4A → MP3 convert er on Windows 11.
Thank you. I did more digging after I left my question, and discovered that I actually own software that made it really easy to do the task I had been trying to do. I used Wondershare Filmora, and it worked like a charm.
But I have a question for you: I am so curious as to why you seem to purposefully add spaces in words like "converter" or "conversion" (convert er, conver sion)! Can you explain this to me?
Glad you found something that worked
I’ve heard Wonder share Filmora mentioned before as well — it’s definitely a good tool, especially if you already have it installed. Just worth noting for other readers that it’s a paid video editor, and the audio conversion part is more of a side feature.
If someone is only looking to convert audio file formats, there are simpler (and free) options. A friend recommended Tune Fab to me a while ago, so I gave it a try. It does allow free audio format conversion (MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, AIFF, etc.), and the UI is pretty clean and straightforward. Might be worth testing its free features if you ever need to do this again without opening a full video editor.
As for the spaces in words like “convert er” — good catch
On some forums and platforms, certain software-related keywords tend to trigger auto-moderation, spam filters, or aggressive down-ranking, even when the post is genuinely helpful. Adding small breaks is a common workaround to keep answers visible and avoid them being hidden or auto-flagged.
Not ideal, but it helps make sure the information actually stays up for people who need it.
I found Windows Media Player Legacy, and added my .m4a files. I found Rip settings and set to MP3 format, but when I view or select my .m4a files in my library, I only have Play and Burn buttons to choose from.