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DROP SPECIMEN HERE

Accepted: M4A :: Max 500MB
[SECURE] :: No files transmitted to external hosts
┌─ FILE ANALYSIS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┐
│ DEVELOPER : Apple Inc.
│ CATEGORY : Audio
│ MIME TYPE : audio/mp4
│ MAGIC BYTES : 00000020667479704D3441
└ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘

What is an M4A file?

M4A is an audio-only MPEG-4 container format popularized by Apple. It typically contains AAC or ALAC (Apple Lossless) encoded audio. The .m4a extension distinguishes audio-only files from .mp4 video files, though both use the same underlying container format.

How to open M4A files

  • Apple Music / iTunes (macOS, Windows, iOS) — Native support
  • VLC Media Player (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free
  • Windows Media Player (Windows 10/11) — Built-in
  • foobar2000 (Windows) — Lightweight player
  • Any modern web browser — HTML5 audio

Technical specifications

PropertyValue
ContainerMPEG-4 Part 14
Audio CodecsAAC, ALAC
CompressionLossy (AAC) or Lossless (ALAC)
Bit Rates16–320 kbps (AAC)
MetadataiTunes-compatible tags, album art
GaplessSupported

Programs that open M4A files

  • Apple Music / iTunes — Native Apple player
  • VLC Media Player — Universal player
  • Audacity — Free audio editor (with FFmpeg plugin)
  • foobar2000 — Lightweight player
  • MusicBee — Music manager

Common use cases

  • iTunes purchases: Standard format for Apple music
  • Audiobooks: iTunes audiobook format
  • Podcasts: Apple Podcast distribution
  • Voice memos: iPhone Voice Memos output