Free online APE to M4A converter

Some phones, music libraries, and editing programs do not support Monkey’s Audio files, while M4A is more commonly accepted for playback and sharing. Converting also lets you replace a large lossless APE file with a smaller AAC file or preserve its audio in an ALAC-based M4A file.

What the APE format is

APE, or Monkey’s Audio, is a lossless codec that compresses PCM audio without removing audio data. It is used mainly for archived CD rips, cue-sheet-based disc images, and high-quality music collections, particularly on Windows.

Programs including foobar2000, Exact Audio Copy, and compatible disc-ripping software can read or create APE files. Support is less consistent in phones, browsers, portable players, and video editors than support for M4A.

What the M4A format is

M4A is an audio filename extension commonly used for an MP4 container. The contained audio is usually AAC, a lossy codec that produces substantially smaller files, or ALAC, Apple’s lossless codec.

AAC M4A files at settings such as 192k or 256k are much smaller than typical APE files and work with most modern phones, computers, media players, and editing applications. ALAC M4A preserves the decoded APE samples exactly, but it is larger than AAC and is not supported by every non-Apple or older player.

How to convert APE to M4A with FFmpeg

FFmpeg is suitable for individual files and batch scripts. Install a current FFmpeg build, open a terminal in the folder containing the APE file, and run the command for the required output.

For lossless ALAC output:

ffmpeg -i "input.ape" -map_metadata 0 -c:a alac "output.m4a"

For a smaller AAC output:

ffmpeg -i "input.ape" -map_metadata 0 -c:a aac -b:a 256k "output.m4a"

Replace the filenames with the actual names. Use -b:a 192k for a smaller AAC file or -b:a 320k for a higher-bitrate encode. FFmpeg decodes the APE audio before encoding the selected codec; changing .ape to .m4a does not convert the data.

For a graphical workflow, foobar2000 can convert imported APE files after an AAC or ALAC encoder is installed. Select the files, choose Convert → Quick Convert, select an AAC profile and bitrate or an ALAC profile, choose the destination, and start the conversion. Menu names and available profiles depend on the installed encoder components.

Convert without installing software

You can convert an APE file for free on 101convert.com without installing software. Upload the file, select M4A as the output format, choose an available codec or quality setting, start the conversion, and download the result. Do not upload private recordings or copyrighted material unless the service’s handling and permitted use are acceptable.

Quality and compatibility limitations

APE-to-AAC conversion is lossy. The APE decoder reconstructs the original samples, but AAC then discards information to reduce the file size; increasing the bitrate cannot make AAC lossless. Choose ALAC when exact audio preservation is required and the receiving application supports it.

Converting APE to ALAC may not produce a smaller file. Both codecs are lossless, and their sizes depend on the audio content and encoder. ALAC is generally supported more widely than APE but is not universal.

A single APE file may be a complete CD image accompanied by a .cue file containing track boundaries. Direct conversion normally creates one M4A file. Use a cue-aware application to split the image into individual tracks before or during conversion if separate files are required.

Check the converted file’s duration, playback, tags, and cover art. Metadata and embedded artwork do not always transfer perfectly, especially when the APE image relies on a separate cue sheet or external files.