Best Way to Convert M4B to MP3 Free/Online on Mac/PC

By Ivan Scott Updated on 2024-1-10 / Update for Audiobook Tips

What is M4B? It is a kind of MPEG-4 file format, commonly used in audiobooks. If you have bought audiobooks from the iTunes Store, you may be familiar with this format. It is similar to the M4A format. But it comes with the difference of containing info like chapter markers, hyperlinks, images, and so on. These features of M4B give users a much better experience in listening to audiobooks. For example, you can listen from where you stopped last time instead of from the beginning, while M4A can't do it.

View also: How to Convert iTunes M4A Audiobooks to MP3

Yet, M4B is not widely used in audiobooks. The reason is simple: M4B is not compatible with most players except Apple devices or some particular authorized players. So, if you want to listen to M4B audiobooks on a universal player, you have to convert it to common formats such as MP3 first.

But how? Today, in this article, you will find some great ways to convert M4B to MP3 online/free/paid on Windows and Mac computers. Read to find the best one that you like.

convert m4b to mp3

Part 1. Best M4B to MP3 Converter to Convert M4B Format to MP3

First, we'd like to introduce a professional tool to help you convert M4B file to MP3. It is named AudFree M4B to MP3 Converter. As an all-in-one audio converter, it is the primary choice to help you convert M4B to MP3. It can also transform M4B to any kind of popular format such as FLAC, WAV, AAC, M4A, etc. without touching the original quality.

Metadata such as the title, artist, album, and so on will be completely kept in the transferred audio files. Hence, you can order the local audiobooks as your preference without any difficulties. Besides, it can remove protection from protected M4B files and automatically split a large audiobook into small segments. With the assistance of this intelligent software, you are allowed to upload a batch of M4B audiobooks for converting at one time. After the conversion, you can transfer and listen to audiobooks on any devices or players offline.

AudFree M4B to MP3 Converter

audfree audio converter

Please confirm the following prerequisites before starting the conversion.

  • Please download AudFree M4B to MP3 Converter on your Windows 10/11 or Mac 14 desktop. You can get a 1-min trial in the free version. If you want to fully test it, please buy and register to unlock the time limits.
  • Please be sure that the M4B audio can be played well and you have downloaded it to the library.
Step 1Drag and drop M4B from iTunes to AudFree
add m4b audio files to audfree
Open AudFree Audio Converter and iTunes will be automatically opened. Directly drag and drop the M4B audiobooks from the library to the empty field of AudFree. Or tap on the Load iTunes Library to add files to AudFree.
Step 2Redefine output format to MP3 in AudFree
reset m4b audiobooks output format to mp3
Click on the 'format' icon at the bottom menu bar, then you can reset the output format to MP3 and the related parameters like bit rate, sample rate, channel, etc. After that, touch 'OK'. Also, you can click on the 'edit' icon on the audio track to adjust output volume, pitch and so on.
However, it is noted that you can't convert M4B to MP3 with chapters as MP3 doesn't support chapter info. So, if want to keep chapters of audiobooks, you can choose M4A format.
View also: How to Convert Audible AAX to M4A
Step 3Download and convert M4B to MP3
convert m4b to mp3
Press on the big 'Convert' button in the bottom-right corner of AudFree. Then it will start the converting job. When the process is finished, please follow the on-screen prompts to find the location of the target folder. Please remember to check if all selected M4B files are converted successfully. Then you can move and put those M4B to MP3 files on any device and player you like for playing offline.

Part 2. How to Convert M4B to MP3 Online

The tool above can help convert M4B format to MP3 and remove limits from M4B audiobooks. But you need to pay for it for full features. If you don't want to give it a try, you can try the online way. There are lots of M4B to MP3 converter online in the market that can help you. With them, you don't need to install extra software on your desktop. But it is noted that they only work with non-protected M4B audiobooks and there are fewer functions in them. If you don't mind their drawbacks, then check them out below.

1. CloudConvert

It is an online file converter that can support audio, document, video, image, presentation, Ebook and so on. Also, it supports output formats like MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, and more. Besides, it allows you to change audio codec, audio channel, sample rate, volume, and even trim audio.

m4b to mp3 online via cloudconvert

Step 1. Open a web browser and head to CloudConvert official website.

Step 2. Choose 'M4B' as the input audio file format and pick up 'MP3' as the output format at the top of the screen.

Step 3. Hit on the 'down-arrow' icon next to the 'Select File' button. Then you can choose to upload M4B audiobooks from your computer, Google Drive, or else.

Step 4. After loading, you can head to reset output audio parameters like volume, channel, etc.

Step 5. Once set, click on the 'Convert' button to start converting .m4b to MP3.

2. FreeConvert

FreeConvert is quite similar to CloudConvert. It also supports different kinds of media files and multiple output formats. By the way, it allows fade in/out audio and reverse audio.

convert m4b to mp3 online via freeconvert

Step 1. Go to the FreeConvert official website, then navigate to the Audio Converter section.

Step 2. Touch the Choose Files button on the page to select M4B audiobooks for uploading.

Step 3. Choose MP3 audio format in the 'Convert To' section.

Step 4. After that, tap the 'Convert' button to start to convert M4B to MP3 online.

3. Converter App

Converter App is also an online media file-converting tool. With it, you can easily convert any media file to the format you want. And it supports two ways to load files: by dragging and choosing. Besides, it supports uploading up to 20 videos at the same time.

use converterapp to convert m4b file to mp3 online

Step 1. Visit converter.app website via the web browser on your computer.

Step 2. Type 'm4b to mp3' into the search box on the screen. Then hit 'Enter' on your keyboard.

Step 3. Now, you will in the 'M4B to MP3' page. You can click on the right box to choose M4B audiobooks you want to convert. Or, directly drag the files to the box.

Step 4. Once loaded, the conversion will start. Then click on the 'Download' button to save M4B files to MP3 format on your computer.

4. Zamzar

Zamzar is another tool that can help convert M4B format to MP3 online for free. Here check the steps on how to use it.

zamzar m4b to mp3 converter online

Step 1. Head to the M4B audio converter section on the Zamzar website.

Step 2. Hit on the 'Choose Files' button to pick up M4B files or drag the files from your computer.

Step 3. Choose the MP3 as the output format or choose another format if you want.

Step 4. Press the 'Convert Now' button to begin to convert M4B audiobooks to MP3 format.

View also: How to Convert Audible to MP3 Online

Part 3. How to Convert M4B to MP3 Free

In this part, you will get some free M4B to MP3 converter to convert M4B audio files to MP3. They also support non-protected M4B audiobooks only.

1. Via iTunes/Apple Music App

Since most people get M4B audiobooks from the iTunes Store, it is very kind of iTunes to offer a built-in function to change M4B to MP3 directly. Now let's see where we can find it.

Step 1. Launch the iTunes/Apple Music program on your Windows or Mac computer. Then log in to your account.

Step 2. Drag and drop the M4B files to the library.

Step 3. Click Edit (for Windows PC) or iTunes (for macOS Mojave or older versions), or click Apple Music (for macOS Catalina or latest versions). Then choose Preferences > General > Import Settings > Import Using > MP3 Encoder > OK.

mp3 encoder in itunes app import settings

Step 4. Open Books > Audiobooks and choose the M4B file that you need to convert.

Step 5. Find File and drop it down to choose Convert > Create MP3 version.

convert m4b to mp3 free via itunes

Step 6. Wait for the conversion to be finished. Now, the M4B files are transferred to MP3 audio formats.

Although the iTunes/Apple Music app can help you change M4B to MP3 in a direct way, they can only handle basic converting jobs. If you need to convert a batch of M4B files, they are not suitable for you.

2. Via VLC Media Player

VLC is a free and open-source media player to play media files. Also, it supports converting media files. So, here you can use it to convert M4B to MP3 free.

Step 1. Open the VLC program on your computer.

Step 2. Click on the Media > Convert / Save option.

convert and save option in vlc media player

Step 3. Hit on Add to choose and import M4B audiobook files to VLC.

add m4b audiobooks to vlc

Step 4. Touch the Arrow icon next to Convert / Save to open the drop-down menu, then choose Convert to open a new window.

Step 5. Click on the Arrow icon next to Profile and select Audio - MP3. Then hit Browse to choose the place to store converted audio files.

convert m4b file to mp3 by vlc

Step 6. Touch Start to proceed with the conversion of M4B to MP3.

View also: How to Play Audible Audiobooks on VLC

Part 4. Tips: How to Convert MP3 to M4B File

Want to convert MP3 file to M4B format? It is easy to make it here. Since the AudFree program in Part 1 is an almighty audio converter, you can use it to convert MP3 to M4B easily. Now, let's have a quick look at how to achieve the goal.

convert mp3 to m4b via audfree audio converter

Step 1. Run AudFree Audio Converter on your computer, either Windows or Mac computer.

Step 2. Hit the load iTunes Library icon to import M4B files into it.

Step 3. Click the audio icon to enter the Format Setting window. Here you can switch the output format to M4B.

Step 4. Check the Convert button to recode MP3 to M4B in one click.

Part 5. In Conclusion

Here is all about how to convert M4B to MP3 format for playing on compatible devices and players you want. There are online tools, free tools, and a paid tool for you to choose from. You can try them out and pick up the one you like.

If you have several files and want to convert them quickly, you can select online and free ways. But if you want more features, you should choose AudFree Audio Converter. It supports protected and non-protected audio files and supports multiple input/output audio formats. And it allows you to customize the output audio files, like changing codec, bit rate, volume, and so on. Moreover, it can split audiobooks into chapters automatically during the conversion. After using this tool, you can save the audio files on your computer and use them anywhere and anytime offline.

Ivan Scott

Ivan Scott

Staff Editor

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Ivan Scott, an audiobook enthusiast with a passion for writing. He keeps up with information and tech skills related to iTunes and Audible audiobooks, and shares them with readers.