Switch Audio File Format Converter is a simple application for Mac that lets you convert audio files to and from all kinds of formats. With its very simple interface, the program supports a wide variety of different file types, among them the most popular ones, such as MP3, OGG, WAV, AIFF and FLAC. Convert and download youtube videos to mp3 (audio) or mp4 (video) files for free. There is no registration or software needed.
by Brian Fisher • Mar 02,2020 • Proven solutions
Is It Possible to Convert MP3 Files on Mac OS X El Capitan?
Yes, it is. There are many options that you can choose from when you want to make such a conversion. The different apps that you can use allow you to convert various audio as well as video formats like WAV, WMA, MP3, AIFF, MOV, MP4, MKV and AVI effortlessly. With the latest encoding that has been introduced, the conversion takes a remarkably short period of time. Also, when you choose a good converter, the file quality is not compromised and you will be able to convert lots of files together.
Top MP3 Converters for macOS El Capitan
#1. UniConverter for Mac
UniConverter for Mac is a video converter which allows the conversion of videos into various formats. It has much to offer in addition to the video conversion feature. You can download the desktop version from the site. This converter converts almost any format you may think of, including the standard ones such as M4V, MTS and AVI. It can also handle the HD videos. With this converter, the videos can be converted so as to be edited by different editors.
This software goes beyond converting videos from one format to another. It allows you to create custom video files for specific devices. Moreover, it has a modern interface that is quite easy to use. Also, it provides its customers with a wide variety of options for both technical and customer support. By the way, you can check here to learn how to convert MP3 files with details.
#2. The Free Online Converter
Free photo editor mac 2015. This is a very popular converter, and it comes free of charge when you do the conversions online. It is user friendly, meaning you do not need technical knowhow to use it. Steps of conversion are simple. Go to converter and add the video that you need to be converted in the indicated area. Select an output format and click 'Convert'.
Pros:
It's easy to use.
It can convert many file formats.
Cons:
There is a size limit. This means that the files above 100 MB can't be converted unless you register on the website.
#3. Zamzar Video Converter
Is It Possible to Convert MP3 Files on Mac OS X El Capitan?
Yes, it is. There are many options that you can choose from when you want to make such a conversion. The different apps that you can use allow you to convert various audio as well as video formats like WAV, WMA, MP3, AIFF, MOV, MP4, MKV and AVI effortlessly. With the latest encoding that has been introduced, the conversion takes a remarkably short period of time. Also, when you choose a good converter, the file quality is not compromised and you will be able to convert lots of files together.
Top MP3 Converters for macOS El Capitan
#1. UniConverter for Mac
UniConverter for Mac is a video converter which allows the conversion of videos into various formats. It has much to offer in addition to the video conversion feature. You can download the desktop version from the site. This converter converts almost any format you may think of, including the standard ones such as M4V, MTS and AVI. It can also handle the HD videos. With this converter, the videos can be converted so as to be edited by different editors.
This software goes beyond converting videos from one format to another. It allows you to create custom video files for specific devices. Moreover, it has a modern interface that is quite easy to use. Also, it provides its customers with a wide variety of options for both technical and customer support. By the way, you can check here to learn how to convert MP3 files with details.
#2. The Free Online Converter
Free photo editor mac 2015. This is a very popular converter, and it comes free of charge when you do the conversions online. It is user friendly, meaning you do not need technical knowhow to use it. Steps of conversion are simple. Go to converter and add the video that you need to be converted in the indicated area. Select an output format and click 'Convert'.
Pros:
It's easy to use.
It can convert many file formats.
Cons:
There is a size limit. This means that the files above 100 MB can't be converted unless you register on the website.
#3. Zamzar Video Converter
This is yet another amazing converter that is well known on the internet. It boasts many features that can be easily used. It is a very simple and lightweight program that needs no technical knowhow to use. You can finish the converting process by following simple steps. Import the video that you want to convert into the site first, and choose the output format that you prefer to use from the provided list. Enter your email address where you want to receive converted files and initiate the conversion.
Pros:
This is a very easy program to use.
It has an amazing user-friendly interface.
Cons:
One of the main problems with this program is the fact that once a file is converted, the output is of a lower quality than the original.
#4. Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter
This is a very powerful tool for converting and it is free online. It can really assist with all sorts of conversion issues. This is a very powerful option in comparison to other free online converters. This is because there is no maximum file size that has been set. This allows even the larger files to be converted using the program. Upload the video you want it to be converted, and choose the file format. And you can start conversion.
Pros:
User-friendly as it is simple.
There are so many output formats in the list that you can utilize.
Cons:
Conversion speed is slow, especially in the case of large files being converted.
#5. Bender Converter
This is yet another amazing converter that is available online, and it is also among the most popular options that you have. It can be used with no difficulty. You will have your favorite files within no time in whichever format that you prefer. The process is also very simple. Choose the file to be converted and upload. Select the format that you want from the list. Press 'Convert' and start the conversion.
Pros:
It has a very unique ability to allow different users to manually select the suitable device that is supported by the converter.
This is an amazing feature for all people who are not too familiar with these kinds of aspects.
Cons:
Bender converter usually places an upper limit on the file size that can be converted and this stands at 100MB. So to be able to go beyond this set mark, you will have to pay the registration fee.
UniConverter | |
|---|---|
| Converting Video/Audio | iMedia Converter supports various formats. You can convert almost all popular formats to other formats. The formats supported include AVI, MP4, MOV, NUT, NSV, WebM, MKV, M2TS, TS, VOB, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, MP3, AIFF, WAV, and so on. The original quality will be preserved |
| Easy to Use | The tool has a user-friendly interface. The converting process is very simple. Even if you are a beginner, you can complete the converting process without difficulty. |
| Edit Videos | You can edit your video before conversion. You can feel free to crop,trim and rotate your videos. Besides, you can also customize your videos by adding watermark or subtitles. You can also convert your videos to third-party supported formats for further editing. |
| Downloading Online Video | Downloading online videos is another feature. You can download the videos you like from any popular online websites including YouTube, Break, Facebook, etc. You can also convert the them for playback on mobile devices. |
If you think about it, just a decade or so ago, file formats were really important. People were discussing the differences between various file compressions and you often had to install an app extension if you wanted it to run a certain file format.
It seems that everything changed with the iPhone gaining mainstream popularity. Since all files were now hosted within apps, we never came across any incompatibility issues. Similarly, with more of our work moving to the web, it's stored within appropriate software right away, so we don't have to deal with file formats.
Still, occasionally, you might encounter a file that you can't open or that you'd like to convert an audio file to another format. One of the most frequent issues for Mac users, for example, is dealing with M4A files, which you often want to convert to MP3s. So let's discuss briefly what is M4A format and where you can find the best M4A to MP3 converter today.
Audio Converter For Mac Free Download
What Is M4A And How To Use It
You might be more familiar with M4A files if you think of them as MP4s, which they essentially are — the only difference is that an MP4 file can handle video while .m4a is for audio only.
MP4 (also known as MPEG-4) is in turn based on QuickTime File Format (QTFF) and, in some sense, was developed to replace MP3. M4A files, for example, are generally smaller in size and can store audio in better quality than MP3s. Their only downside is that M4A players are much harder to find, whereas MP3 is one of the most universal audio formats out there.
So where can you stumble upon the .m4a format? Mostly in Apple's own iTunes Store, as it's the default file extension for song downloads, which is then encoded with AAC for reduced file size or ALAC for lossless audio. However, copyrighted songs might also come in the .m4p format, which is a variant of .m4a.
All this leads us to the question of how do you play M4A vs MP3 on Mac and what's the easiest way to convert file to MP3?
How to play M4A files on Mac
As already mentioned above, a lot of the M4A files you'd come across are from the iTunes Store, so naturally you'd be able to play them on iTunes as well (or the Music app from macOS Catalina onward). You can drag and drop any M4A file into Music and it'll be added to your library.
In addition to Music, or iTunes, M4A files also work with QuickTime Player (since they are based on QuickTime File Format), which is one of the default apps you can find in your Applications folder. While QuickTime is mostly used for playing movies, it has a standard audio playback functionality built into it as well. But what if you're after a great .m4a audio experience?
Elmedia Player is one of the most versatile audio and video players out there. Not only can it easily play a variety of M4A files and MP4 formats, it lets you stream content directly from the web and save videos (e.g. from YouTube) for offline viewing as well. What's more you can stream to any smart TV or AirPlay-enabled device and completely control the way subtitles are displayed.
How to convert M4A to MP3 using iTunes
While there are quite a few M4A players available on Mac, whether via default or third-party apps, you might often need to convert M4A to MP3 iTunes format to make it more widely available — so you can easily port music or audiobooks to virtually any device.
Surprisingly, there's a way to use iTunes as an audio file converter, although not many people know about it, since it's not that straightforward. Regardless, here's how you can convert file to MP3 using iTunes:
Launch iTunes (or the new Music app)
Open Preferences (⌘ + ,)
Navigate to Files ➙ Import Settings…
Change Import Using to MP3 Encoder ➙ OK
Drag and drop your M4A file into iTunes
Select it and then go File ➙ Convert ➙ Create MP3 Version
Find the new file created in your library (the old file will still be intact)
In a similar fashion, you can change the default iTunes encoder to create WAV, lossless, AIFF, and AAC files. Overall, iTunes is a good enough M4A converter and general file converter to MP3 if you only need to convert one or two songs occasionally. For more regular conversions, there are much more efficient apps out there.
A better way to convert M4A to MP3 on Mac
If iTunes can be a decent M4A to MP3 converter, you might also wonder what other specialized apps can do an even better job?
Permute is a pro-level and truly universal media converter. This blazing fast app allows you to drag and drop any number of files into it and get converted results in seconds. Transform audio, video (or video to audio), images, and more — possible combinations are nearly endless! You can even merge two videos into one or add a subtitle track on the fly.
To use Permute as a M4A to MP3 converter:
Launch Permute
Drag and drop your M4A file onto the app's window
Select MP3 in the Audio dropdown
Click the Start icon
You can find the MP3 result on your Desktop. Repeat as necessary, and don't forget that Permute can handle as many files at once as you want — you can use this audio file converter to transform whole albums too.
In the end, most of the time nowadays, we don't have to deal with file formats and can find the appropriate app relatively easy. How to create an image file on mac. In the case with M4A files, you can use iTunes (Music) and QuickTime to play them, but better switch your default media to Elmedia Player altogether. And if you ever need a file converter to MP3, look no further than Permute.
Best of all, Elmedia Player and Permute are available to you at absolutely no cost for seven days via the trial of Setapp, a platform with more than 190 top-tier Mac apps across all categories, from productivity (2Do) to following your favorite blogs (News Explorer). Try them all today for free and discover a whole new world of opportunities.
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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Youtube Audio Converter For Mac
