Free online TTA to MP3 converter

A phone, car stereo, music editor, or media player may require MP3 when it cannot decode True Audio (TTA). MP3 also produces smaller files for sharing and portable playback, while the original TTA can remain as the lossless archive copy.

What the TTA format is

TTA (True Audio) is a lossless audio codec stored in files ending with .tta. It compresses PCM audio without discarding audio information, so decoding reproduces the source data exactly. TTA is used mainly by lossless-audio enthusiasts, older archiving workflows, and desktop software that supports the codec, including compatible configurations of foobar2000 and fre:ac. It is less widely supported than FLAC, WAV, or MP3.

A related .cue file can describe track boundaries, titles, and other information for an album stored as one continuous TTA file. The audio file and its cue sheet should be kept together if the album needs to be split into individual tracks later.

What the MP3 format is

MP3 (MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a lossy format that reduces file size by removing audio information judged less audible. It is supported by most phones, browsers, car stereos, media players, and music applications, making it suitable for portable copies, sharing, and playback on devices that do not decode TTA.

MP3 is not a lossless replacement for TTA. Encoding cannot preserve every source detail, and converting the MP3 back to TTA will not restore information removed during compression.

Using 101convert.com

1. Open the TTA-to-MP3 converter on 101convert.com.
2. Select the .tta file from your device.
3. Choose MP3 as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the resulting .mp3 file and play it in the target application or device.

This method requires no installed software and is free to use. Check the service's current file-size and privacy limits before uploading private recordings or very large archives.

Using FFmpeg

FFmpeg is a suitable desktop command-line option for batch processing and precise MP3 settings. Use a build that includes the TTA decoder and the libmp3lame encoder.

1. Install FFmpeg and open a terminal in the folder containing the source file.
2. Run ffmpeg -i "input.tta" -map_metadata 0 -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 2 "output.mp3".
3. Replace the input and output filenames as needed, then verify that the MP3 plays correctly before removing the TTA file.

-q:a 2 selects LAME variable-bitrate quality 2, usually around 190 kbps but dependent on the audio. Use -q:a 0 for a larger, higher-quality VBR copy, or replace it with -b:a 320k when a fixed bitrate is required. The -map_metadata 0 option attempts to copy source metadata; cover art and uncommon tags may still require manual handling.

Using a desktop converter

fre:ac provides a graphical workflow when command-line tools are not suitable. Add the TTA files, select the LAME MP3 encoder, choose the destination folder and quality setting, then start encoding. foobar2000 can also convert compatible TTA files after its MP3 encoder components are installed: select the tracks, choose Convert → Quick convert, select an MP3/LAME preset, and start the conversion. Component availability varies by installation, so confirm that the program can decode TTA and access an MP3 encoder before converting a large collection.

Quality and track limitations

Keep the original TTA as the archival or editing source and use MP3 as a playback or distribution copy. A higher MP3 bitrate reduces, but does not eliminate, lossy compression; re-encoding an existing MP3 is more damaging than encoding directly from TTA.

Converting a single cue-based album file produces one MP3 and does not automatically create separate tracks. Use cue-aware software to split the TTA first, or convert each already-separated TTA track independently. Check filenames, tags, duration, track boundaries, and cover art after conversion because metadata and image support differ between tools and playback devices.