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Convert MOV to M4A - Extract Audio for Apple Devices

Extract audio from MOV videos as M4A files for iTunes, iPhone, and Apple Music.

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format

Step 3: Convert files

Read Terms of use before using

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format

Step 3: Convert files

Read Terms of use before using

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Extract Audio from Your MOV Videos

MOV files from iPhones, iPads, and QuickTime recordings contain high-quality audio that you may want separately. Whether you recorded a lecture, captured a concert, or have interview footage, the audio track is often more valuable than the video itself.

Converting MOV to M4A extracts just the audio in a compact, high-quality format. M4A uses AAC compression-the same codec Apple uses in iTunes, Apple Music, and iPhone recordings. In our testing, M4A files are typically 60-70% smaller than WAV while maintaining excellent audio quality that most listeners cannot distinguish from uncompressed audio.

If you have M4A files you need to work with in other formats, we support those conversions too.

How to Convert MOV to M4A

Upload your MOV file - Drag and drop or select from iPhone, QuickTime, or any MOV source
Confirm M4A output - M4A is selected for Apple-compatible audio extraction
Download your audio - Get a compact audio file ready for iTunes, podcasts, or any player

The entire process happens in your browser. Your video files stay on your device throughout the conversion-we never upload them to external servers.

Why Choose M4A for Audio Extraction?

M4A offers the best balance of quality and file size for most audio uses:

Apple ecosystem native - Works perfectly with iTunes, Apple Music, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch
Smaller than WAV - In our testing, M4A files are 5-10x smaller than uncompressed WAV
Better than MP3 - AAC codec in M4A produces higher quality at equivalent bitrates compared to MP3
Metadata support - M4A handles album art, track info, and chapters natively
Streaming friendly - Compact files upload faster and stream more reliably

For most users extracting audio from video, M4A provides the ideal combination of quality, compatibility, and file size.

Common Use Cases

Podcast Production

Recorded video for a podcast but publishing audio only? Extract to M4A for a podcast-ready format. Many podcasters record video for YouTube clips but distribute the main show as audio. M4A works with all podcast platforms and keeps file sizes manageable for listeners.

Lecture and Meeting Recordings

iPhone and iPad screen recordings or video captures often contain valuable audio-lectures, meetings, presentations. Extract the audio to M4A for easy playback on any device without the large video file taking up storage.

Music and Performance Capture

Recorded a live performance or music session on video? The audio may be worth keeping separately. M4A preserves the quality while giving you a standalone audio file for your music library.

Interview Extraction

Video interviews often need audio-only versions for transcription, sharing, or archiving. M4A provides a compact format that preserves speech clarity perfectly.

Audiobook Creation

If you recorded book readings as video (to see the text while recording), extract to M4A for audiobook distribution. The format handles long-form audio efficiently.

M4A vs WAV vs MP3 - Which to Choose?

Different target formats serve different purposes. Here is when each makes sense:

M4A - Best all-around choice. High quality, small files, works everywhere. Choose this for listening, sharing, podcasts, and general use.
WAV - Uncompressed audio for professional editing. Choose MOV to WAV if you plan to edit in a DAW and need maximum flexibility. File sizes are 5-10x larger.
MP3 - Universal compatibility, slightly lower quality than M4A at same bitrate. Choose MOV to MP3 if you need maximum device compatibility, especially for older hardware.

For Apple users and modern devices, M4A is the optimal choice-better quality than MP3 with native Apple support.

Audio Quality Expectations

The quality of your extracted M4A depends on the source MOV file:

iPhone/iPad recordings - Typically AAC at 44.1kHz. Extraction preserves this quality exactly.
QuickTime recordings - Usually AAC or LPCM at 44.1-48kHz. High quality extraction.
Professional cameras - Often 48kHz audio, sometimes in PCM format. Excellent quality after conversion.
Screen recordings - Quality varies by app settings, typically 44.1kHz stereo.

In our testing with iPhone 12-15 video recordings, extracted M4A files maintained the full quality of the original audio track. The AAC codec in M4A is efficient enough that there is no perceptible quality loss for speech or music.

Technical Details

For those interested in the specifics:

Codec - M4A uses AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), developed as MP3's successor
Container - MPEG-4 Part 14 container, same family as MP4 video
Bitrate - We extract at 256kbps AAC, matching iTunes Plus quality
Sample rate - Preserved from source (typically 44.1kHz or 48kHz)
Channels - Stereo preserved, mono sources stay mono

This configuration ensures your extracted audio matches the quality standards used by Apple Music and professional audio distribution.

Batch Conversion for Multiple Videos

Have a collection of MOV files from an event, trip, or recording session? Upload them all at once and extract audio from each in a single batch. Each video produces a separate M4A file, ready for organization in your music library or podcast workflow.

In our testing, batch conversion of 10 iPhone videos (averaging 3 minutes each) completed in under a minute, producing compact M4A files ready for immediate use.

Works on Any Device

No QuickTime, iTunes, or special software required. Convert directly in your browser:

Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
iPhone, iPad, Android tablets and phones

The conversion runs locally in your browser using modern web technologies. Your video files never leave your device, ensuring complete privacy for personal or sensitive recordings.

Pro Tip

iPhone videos already use AAC audio internally, so MOV to M4A extraction is nearly lossless-it just removes the video wrapper. For the highest quality from iPhone footage, M4A is actually better than converting to WAV since you avoid unnecessary codec conversion.

Common Mistake

Converting to WAV when you only need to listen to the audio. WAV files are massive with no audible benefit for playback. M4A gives you the same listening experience in a fraction of the file size.

Best For

Extracting audio from iPhone videos, podcast production, creating an audio library from video recordings, and any situation where you want compact, high-quality audio for Apple devices.

Not Recommended

Professional audio editing where you need to apply heavy processing. For DAW work with multiple effects and edits, extract to WAV first, then export your final mix to M4A.

Frequently Asked Questions

M4A is an audio file format using AAC compression. It is Apple's preferred audio format, used in iTunes, Apple Music, and iPhone recordings. M4A provides higher quality than MP3 at similar file sizes.

Yes. While M4A is Apple's native format, it works on Windows Media Player, VLC, and most Android devices. AAC is a universal standard, not just an Apple technology.

Yes. At equivalent bitrates, AAC (used in M4A) produces better audio quality than MP3. A 256kbps M4A sounds better than a 256kbps MP3, or you can use a lower bitrate M4A to match MP3 quality with smaller file size.

M4A files are typically 5-10 times smaller than WAV. A 3-minute audio track that is 30MB as WAV would be about 3-6MB as M4A with negligible quality difference for listening.

Yes. M4A is iTunes' native format. Simply drag the extracted file into iTunes or Apple Music, and it imports directly with full metadata support.

No. iPhone videos already use AAC audio, which is the same codec M4A uses. Extraction preserves the original audio quality without re-encoding in most cases.

Yes. M4A is accepted by all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. It is actually preferred by Apple Podcasts for chapter and artwork support.

Both use the same MPEG-4 container. M4A contains only audio, while MP4 typically contains video and audio together. M4A is essentially an audio-only MP4 file.

Most files convert in seconds. A 5-minute video typically extracts in under 10 seconds. Longer videos take proportionally more time, but audio extraction is faster than full video conversion.

Yes. QuickTime screen recordings are MOV files with audio tracks. Converting to M4A extracts just the audio-useful for tutorial voiceovers, recorded presentations, or call recordings.

AAC is the audio codec (compression method), while M4A is the file container format. M4A files use AAC compression. Other containers like MP4 and MKV can also contain AAC audio.

Use WAV for editing if you plan to process the audio extensively in a DAW. Use M4A for listening, sharing, or archiving where file size matters. Edit in WAV, export final versions to M4A.