Free online WMA to APE converter

Source format: WMA

WMA stands for Windows Media Audio, a compressed audio format developed by Microsoft. It is commonly used for music, voice recordings, and audio distributed through older Windows-based software and devices. WMA files are often smaller than uncompressed audio, which makes them useful for storage and streaming, but they are not as universally supported as more common formats like MP3 or AAC.

Target format: APE

APE, also known as Monkey’s Audio, is a lossless audio format. Unlike WMA, which is usually lossy, APE preserves the original audio data without quality loss during compression. Its main advantage is high compression efficiency compared with WAV, while keeping full fidelity. APE is often used by audiophiles and for archiving music collections where exact audio preservation matters.

How to perform the conversion

The best practical way to convert WMA to APE is with desktop audio software that supports both formats, such as Foobar2000 with the Monkey’s Audio encoder installed, or fre:ac if it has APE encoding support enabled. You can also convert the file on 101convert.com for free, without installing any software.

1. Open your audio converter or player that supports format conversion.
2. Import the .wma file.
3. Choose APE or Monkey’s Audio as the output format.
4. Adjust settings if available, such as compression level or output folder.
5. Start the conversion and wait for the new .ape file to be created.

If you are using Foobar2000, the typical path is File → Open to load the WMA file, then Convert → ... to choose APE as the output format. In fre:ac, add the file, select the output format as Monkey’s Audio, and begin encoding.

Notes on quality and compatibility

Converting from WMA to APE does not restore lost audio quality if the WMA file is already lossy, because APE is lossless only for the data it receives. The resulting APE file will usually be larger than the original WMA because lossless compression stores more audio information. Compatibility is another important factor: APE support is less common than WMA support, so the converted file may not play in some built-in players, phones, or car stereos without additional software. If your goal is archival quality, APE is suitable; if your goal is broad playback compatibility, a more widely supported format may be better.