M4A.com

M4a files are one of the latest audio file formats available. They have a range of benefits over their predecessors and are quickly becoming the format of choice for many users. We look at m4a files in more detail below.

What is an m4a File?

A lot of people have questions about the m4a file extension as it is still relatively new. M4a stands for M-PEG 4 Audio. In the same way that mp3 files work by shrinking the size of audio files so that they are more quickly downloaded and played – the mp4 does the exact same thing only better. We look at all the benefits of m4a files later.

One question that people ask is what the difference is between m4a and mp4 files. Essentially they work in the exact same way and in some cases are the same thing, however mp4 files can also play video. M4a files were created because mp4 files were much too general and were confusing many media players which couldn’t work out whether a file was video and audio, just video or just audio. Instead, the m4a file makes it clear that the file is just audio.

Another file type that m4a is often confused with is m4p. These are exactly the same as m4a files, but are copyright protected. Most iTunes downloads use the m4p file extension, making it difficult for music to be distributed illegally.

Several popular software applications and hardware devices are starting to favor m4a files.

What programs can open m4a files?

As m4a files are becoming increasingly common, more and more programs and software are ensuring they are compatible with files of this type.

If you are using a Mac operating system then some of the most commonly used applications that are compatible with m4a files include: Apple iTunes, Apple Quicktime Player, Roxio Toast 11, Roxio Popcorn 4, NCH WavePad, Cog and VideoLAN VLC Media Player.

For Windows users, you’ll find additional programs that are compatible with m4a files such as: Microsoft Windows Media Player, Xilisoft Video Converter Ultimate, Winamp Media Player 5.6, Roxio Creator 2011 and Media Player Classic. Linux users can play m4a files on the VideoLAN VLC Media Player.

This list is not exhaustive and there are hundreds of other programs that are m4a compatible. You can also download m4a players from the internet.

Benefits of m4a Files

M4a is considered to be a replacement for the very popular mp3 format as it has numerous enhancements and improvements. The key benefit of m4a files is that it compresses audio files as small as possible – taking up less space on your hard drive and speeding up download times.

The quality of m4a files are also considerably better than mp3 files, which often lost a lot of the sound quality through the compression process.

For businesses there are also cost benefits to using m4a files. When streaming or distributing mp3 files you are required to pay for a license or pay royalties on all distributed mp3 content. M4a files have no licenses or payments associated with using them.

Disadvantages of m4a Files

There are very few disadvantages to using m4a files over other file types. The only real problem is that not all playback devices and software are compatible with m4a files yet – this is particularly the case if you are using an older model or operating system. In this case you would need to download a separate m4a player to be able to play the files. You can download the free iTunes player at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ – which is a very popular choice if you are looking for an m4a player.

Essentially, m4a files are the latest advancement in audio file technology. The two main things that matter to users are the size of the file and the quality of sound – both of which have been improved by the onset of the m4a file format. While mp3’s will probably still be used for several years to come, there is no doubt that the m4a file format is the way forward for audio files.