Conversion of m4a to mp3

richardhrichardh
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
What's the best/fastest program/script/tool, that would convert directories of m4a files to the mp3 format?



Thanks, sorry if this is an obvious or dumb question, I haven't dealt with this particular scenario before. For what it's worth, no files contain DRM.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    gregmightdothatgregmightdothat Posts: 1,709member
    Why would you want to? You realize the results will likely sound terrible, right?
  • Reply 2 of 4
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    If you have the original uncompressed source files (e.g. CDs, AIFF, WAV) it is a much better idea to create the mp3s from those than to convert already compressed files. As gregmightdothat said, compressing compressed files doesn't deliver very pleasant results.



    So, with that having been said, the easiest way to convert lots of audio files from one format to another is iTunes:



    1.) Get all the files you want to convert in a playlist.



    2.) Go to iTunes preferences -> Advanced -> Importing and set to the mp3 settings you want.



    3.) Select all the files in the playlist.



    4.) Go to the iTunes "Advanced" menu, and select "convert selection to mp3"
  • Reply 3 of 4
    richardhrichardh Posts: 63member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gregmightdothat


    Why would you want to? You realize the results will likely sound terrible, right?



    Thanks to everyone who replied, and yeah I realize it. I don't want to do any of this, it's not for my music in iTunes, I just posted the question here since I figured someone would have an answer.



    What I'm doing is converting lo-fi, mono podcasts, in a client's directory. Whatever they used to make them in the first place, emitted m4a files, and whomever is in charge of being in charge, has suddenly decided all the m4a's should be mp3's instead.



    Why? Just Because, somebody decided it's a great idea. Where are the originals? Who knows. Do I really care? No, I'm doing what The Powers That Be have asked me to do, in exchange for cash. Converting this crap appears to be part of the E-Commerce Big Picture. Go figure.



    I think that end-result was somebody just ran in through sox, on the linux-server command line. Seems to have worked. Sounded like crap to start with, still sounds like crap, but now in mp3. Joy Joy!
  • Reply 4 of 4
    richardhrichardh Posts: 63member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RichardH


    Thanks to everyone who replied, and yeah I realize it. I don't want to do any of this, it's not for my music in iTunes, I just posted the question here since I figured someone would have an answer.



    What I'm doing is converting lo-fi, mono podcasts, in a client's directory. Whatever they used to make them in the first place, emitted m4a files, and whomever is in charge of being in charge, has suddenly decided all the m4a's should be mp3's instead.



    Why? Just Because, somebody decided it's a great idea. Where are the originals? Who knows. Do I really care? No, I'm doing what The Powers That Be have asked me to do, in exchange for cash. Converting this crap appears to be part of the E-Commerce Big Picture. Go figure.



    I think that end-result was somebody just ran in through sox, on the linux-server command line. Seems to have worked. Sounded like crap to start with, still sounds like crap, but now in mp3. Joy Joy!



    For what it's worth, thanks once again to the glory of all that is RSS, if anyone has interest in this topic, this makes for an interesting read:



    http://www.dougscripts.com/itunes/index.php#120606a
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