About Windows Media Audio
WMA is Microsoft's audio format from 1999. For years Windows Media Player saved ripped CDs as WMA by default, and Windows Sound Recorder, many voice recorders and early online music stores used it too. As a result, many people still have old music collections and recordings in WMA. There are four main types:
- WMA Standard – the common lossy version, usually 64–192 kbps.
- WMA Pro – a more advanced lossy codec with 24-bit and surround support.
- WMA Lossless – an exact copy of the CD, like FLAC.
- WMA Voice – a speech codec at very low bitrates.
The converter reads all of them and shows which one each file uses. That matters, because a WMA Lossless file deserves a lossless target, while a 64 kbps WMA voice memo does not.
DRM-protected files
Some WMA files are locked with Windows Media DRM. This affects tracks bought from early music stores and subscription services, and CDs ripped with the "copy protect music" option in Windows Media Player. Protected files cannot be converted here or with any honest tool. If you see an error for such a file, the only legal route is the original licence: some stores allowed burning to an audio CD, which you can rip again.
Choose your target
- MP3 – for any player, phone or car: WMA to MP3.
- M4A or AAC – to move a library into Apple Music or onto an iPhone: WMA to M4A, WMA to AAC.
- FLAC – the right home for WMA Lossless rips: WMA to FLAC.
- WAV or AIFF – for editing and CD burning: WMA to WAV, WMA to AIFF.
- OGG or Opus – open formats for Linux, games and small archives: WMA to OGG, WMA to Opus.
- M4R – an iPhone ringtone: WMA to M4R.
- MMF – a ringtone for old feature phones: WMA to MMF.
- MIDI – transcribe the notes: WMA to MIDI.
- MP4 – a video with a picture: WMA to MP4.
Batch conversion, tags and settings
Old CD rips usually come in album folders. Add a whole album at once and every track is converted with the same settings, one after another. Track titles, artists, album names and track numbers are moved from the WMA tags to the new format when it supports them, so the album stays in order.
For lossy targets, match or slightly exceed the WMA bitrate shown in the list; a 128 kbps WMA becomes a good 192 kbps MP3. For lossless targets, keep the bit depth of the source: 16-bit for CD rips, 24-bit for WMA Pro or Lossless files made from high-resolution masters. Keep the sample rate unless a device needs a specific one.
Your files are processed in the browser and never uploaded. If your goal is just to save space, Compress shows the estimated size before you export.