Spotify is famous for its huge music library among streaming platforms in this digital world. It's very convenient to find and play your favorite music with Spotify. However, you can only play these songs via the Spotify app or web player due to its copyright protection. Besides, all songs you download from Spotify are encoded in the Ogg format, which can only be played on authorized devices.
In this case, if you want to play Spotify songs offline on devices without the Spotify app, you must first convert Spotify Ogg to MP3, M4A and other plain formats first. In this blog, we will introduce 2 ways to convert Spotify to M4A, via professional software and online website.
Part 1. How to Convert Spotify to M4A With Professional Converter
As an audio container format designed by Apple, M4A is encoded with AAC and ALAC two formats, which is very complicated during the conversion. In this case, typical audio format converters are unable to convert Spotify to M4A directly. That's why you need the help of a professional converter to download Spotify to M4A.
The AudFree Spotify to M4A Converter is a user-friendly professional tool that converts Spotify music into M4A and other plain formats. With its clean and clear interface, you can quickly learn how to download M4A files from Spotify at 5X faster speed. Most importantly, whether a free or premium user, you can enjoy ad-free M4A tracks with customized output quality.
In the meantime, utilizing an advanced converting technology, metadata from the original Spotify streams will be totally preserved, such as artist, title, album art, and so on. With an intuitive interface and easy operation, this smart Spotify to M4A converter is the one that you exactly looking for.
AudFree Spotify to M4A Converter
- Losslessly unlock Spotify OGG Vorbis songs, podcasts, and audiobooks
- Convert Spotify music to MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, etc.
- Keep original ID3 tags and raw metadata info in Spotify M4A audios
- Run at 5X faster speed, edit output parameters of Spotify M4A files
After installing the AudFree Spotify M4A Converter, follow our detailed steps below to convert your first batch of M4A tracks.
Notice: Before using AudFree Spotify Music Converter, create a free Spotify account if you don't have one. You will also need to install the Spotify app on your computer.
- Step 1Import Spotify Tracks to the AudFree Spotify M4A Converter
- Open AudFree Spotify to M4A Converter. And the Spotify desktop app will be showed up automatically. Log in to your Spotify free account. Discover the Spotify tracks/playlists/albums that you would like to convert to M4A. Then, directly drag and drop it from the Spotify app to the empty place of the AudFree Spotify Music Converter. Or you can copy and paste the relevant URL to the search box on the top of the AudFree Spotify Music Converter. Next, click on the '+' tab to import it. Please hold and wait, then all the Spotify music files will be added in a flash.
- Step 2Select M4A as Output Format and Set Other Output Options
- If you are using a Windows computer, please find and tap on the menu icon on the upper edge of AudFree Spotify Music Converter. Then click Preferences to open the Convert tab. If you are using a Mac machine, please go to the menu tab on the top left corner of the entire screen. Then choose to AudFree Spotify Music Converter. After that, you will enter the page of settings. Here, please simply select M4A as the Spotify output format and reset the related output options like bit rate, sample rate, channel, and so on to export Spotify tracks. As a suggestion, to get the best output quality, please change the bit rate to 320kbps and alter the sample rate to 48000Hz. Once all settings are customized with your preference, you can hit on the OK to commit the settings.
- Step 3Convert Spotify Songs to M4A on Your Local Computer
- Click the three dots icon at the bottom left to select a local folder to store your converted songs. After everything is set, just click Convert at the bottom right to start the Spotify to M4A conversion process.
- After the conversion is done, please follow the on-screen instructions to access the target folder on your local computer. All the Spotify tracks will be saved in that folder as M4A files. You can now transfer and play the Spotify M4A files on M4A-compatible devices and make Spotify songs as alarms, ringtones, etc., without any limitations.
Video Tutorial: How to Download Spotify Music to M4A on Computer
Part 2. How to Convert Spotify to M4A Online
Even though the AudFree Spotify M4A Converter is a professional tool, it only takes up minimal storage size. However, if your computer is out of storage and you pursue an online Spotify M4A converter, you may go through complex steps.
Since there is no direct Spotify to M4A converter online, you can first convert Spotify into MP3 via the online Spotify to MP3 converters and then use the online MP3 to M4A converter like CloudConvert and OnlineConverter. Below is an example of converting Spotify to M4A online.
Step 1. Open an online Spotify converter like SpotifyDownloader.
Step 2. Launch your Spotify app or website and copy the track links.
Step 3. Paste the track links to the SpotifyDownloader website's input box and click the Submit.
Step 4. Click Download or Download Zip based on your needs.
Step 5. Click the Save button to locate the downloaded file on your computer.
Step 6. Open the OnlineConverter website.
Step 7. Drag the downloaded MP3 file to the import box and click Start, and you'll get your M4A Spotify songs quickly.
This method is available on desktops and phones. However, you need to switch your screen among at least 4 apps, which is really complicated. Besides, the converted M4A music quality will be worse than the one converted by the AudFree Spotify M4A Converter since it's actually the quality of MP3 format. You also need to pay 1 credit for each 30 seconds of one audio file, which may cost a lot if you convert many songs.
Part 3. FAQs on Converting Spotify to M4A Format
Q1: What Is M4A Format?
A1: Strictly speaking, M4A is not a format but a container. It is an audio file extension encoded with AAC (lossy) or ALAC (lossless). As a container format, it includes basic metadata, including title, year, album cover, etc. M4A files can be played on iTunes, QuickTime, VLC, Windows Media Player, Android, iPhone, iPad, and other software and devices.
Q2: Can Spotify Play M4A Files?
A2: No. If you want to upload M4A songs to the Spotify library for streaming, it's a pity that Spotify doesn't support M4A files. However, if you host a podcast on Spotify, you can upload your Spotify podcast M4A files.
Q3: Should I Convert Spotify to MP3 or M4A?
A3: Both MP3 and M4A are lossy audio files. However, they still have some differences, as we summarized below. If you have no idea about converting to which format, you can first pick the most essential feature for you.
| MP3 | M4A | |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Higher Almost all audio devices, computer, and portable devices. |
Less iTunes, Windows Media Player, VLC, etc. |
| Quality | Lossy | Lossy(AAC) Lossless(ALAC) |
| Size | Relatively smaller | Relatively larger |
Overall, M4A performs better quality than MP3, with a slightly larger size than MP3, while MP3 is compatible with more devices. If you want to achieve better compatibility, you can convert Spotify to MP3. If you pursue higher quality with a relatively smaller size than other formats, you can consider M4A.
Q4: Is There Free Spotify to M4A Converter?
A4: No. There are many Spotify to MP3 converters online you can find on the market. However, none of them supports M4A as an output format. Fortunately, the AudFree Spotify Music Converter offers a free trial to convert 1 minute for each file. You can click the buttons below to experience its fast and stable conversion with high-quality output.
Q5: Can I Convert Spotify to M4A on My Android/iPhone?
A5: There has no Spotify M4A converter on mobile devices in the market yet. However, you can use online Spotify to MP3 converter to convert Spotify songs into MP3 files first and then use a plain audio format converter to convert the MP3 files into M4A formats. Alternatively, you can use the AudFree Spotify Music Converter to convert Spotify to M4A on your Mac or Windows first and transfer the converted files on computers to your mobile devices via the USB cable, flash drive, or iCloud.
Part 4. Final Thought
Now, you've learned how to convert Spotify to M4A via professional software and the online website. The AudFree Spotify M4A Converter is undoubtedly the best tool to help you directly download batches of Spotify tracks in M4A formats on your desktop. The online converter can be an alternative if you want to download only a few songs. Click the buttons below to unlock the full version of the professional converter and enjoy Spotify music on any device you prefer.
Charles Davis
Chief Editor
