Free converter · Lossy re-encode
Convert M4A to OGG
Short answer
Drop your M4A file into the converter below and download the OGG file. It runs in your browser with FFmpeg, for files up to 100 MB; nothing is uploaded. The file is re-encoded to Vorbis audio in Ogg, audio only. Re-encoding takes longer than a container swap and costs some quality; how much depends on the clip and on the quality setting, and at the converter's default setting the loss can be visible, so keep the original.
Maximum file size: 100 MB. The first conversion loads a ~30 MB converter engine, once per visit. Nothing is uploaded - conversion runs on your device.
AAC inside M4A to Vorbis/Opus. · Lossy re-encode · Browser-side via FFmpeg WASM - nothing uploaded.
Key takeaways
- The 244 KB M4A file became a 119 KB OGG file (-51.2%), about 95 kbps for the 10 second clip.
- The result holds: Audio: vorbis 48000 Hz 2 ch.
- In your browser the same conversion of a 3 second clip took 0.13 seconds on the single-thread engine; natively, the 10 second clip took 0.26 seconds.
- Next to it: M4A to AAC (+0.2%), M4A to FLAC (+566%), M4A to Opus (-52.2%).
Measured: M4A to OGG
The converter's own ffmpeg arguments, run on a 10 second 1920 × 1080 excerpt of Big Buck Bunny (an animated film, not camera footage) saved in M4A. The browser column is the same arguments on the single-thread WebAssembly core with a 3 second excerpt, in a headless run; your device will differ. Results describe this clip and these encoders.
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| Mode | Audio re-encoded |
| Input | M4A, 244 KB |
| Output | OGG, 119 KB (-51.2%) |
| Output streams | Audio: vorbis 48000 Hz 2 ch |
| Time, native, 10 s clip | 0.26 s |
| Time, browser engine, 3 s clip | 0.13 s |
A re-encode decodes and encodes every frame or sample, so the time grows with the length of the file.
M4A vs OGG
| M4A | OGG | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 audio | Ogg (Xiph.Org) |
| What is inside | AAC (or Apple Lossless) audio in an MP4 container | Vorbis audio, sometimes Opus or FLAC |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy |
| Best for | Apple devices and voice memos | Open-source software and games |
What you get
Vorbis audio in Ogg, audio only. AAC inside M4A to Vorbis/Opus.
Planning a bigger file
These are estimates scaled up from the 10 second clip. Real files differ with content, resolution and bitrate, so treat them as an order of magnitude, not a promise.
| Length of the video or recording | Input size (like ours) | OGG size | Time in your browser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 1.46 MB | 715 KB | 3 seconds |
| 10 minutes | 14.65 MB | 7.15 MB | 25 seconds |
| 1 hour | 87.89 MB | 42.91 MB | 2.5 minutes |
An M4A file of this kind reaches the 100 MB limit of the converter after about 72 minutes; converting it would take roughly 3.0 minutes on the single-thread engine, and the OGG would be about 51.19 MB.
M4A and OGG next to their neighbors
The same clip through other conversions with the same source or the same target.
| Conversion | How | Size change | Time (native) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M4A to OGG | Re-encode | -51.2% | 0.26 s |
| M4A to AAC | Copy | +0.2% | 0.07 s |
| M4A to FLAC | Re-encode | +566% | 0.10 s |
| M4A to Opus | Re-encode | -52.2% | 0.10 s |
| M4A to WAV | Re-encode | +686% | 0.08 s |
| AAC to OGG | Re-encode | -51.2% | 0.22 s |
| AVI to OGG | Re-encode | -98.5% | 0.22 s |
Choosing OGG
OGG: Ogg (Xiph.Org). Open-source software and games. M4A: MPEG-4 audio. Apple devices and voice memos.
- Keep your original: a re-encode is a copy of a copy.
- If the destination states the format it accepts, use that and nothing else.
Questions people ask
Is this M4A to OGG converter free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no account and runs entirely in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.
Will converting M4A to OGG reduce quality?
Some, because OGG is lossy and the file is re-encoded. How much depends on the clip and on the quality setting, and at the converter's default setting the loss can be visible, so keep the original. For uploads, the platform re-encodes again anyway.
Is there a file size limit?
Files up to 100 MB. The first conversion downloads a converter engine of about 30 MB once per visit; larger files are better handled by a desktop app such as HandBrake or FFmpeg.
How do I convert M4A to OGG?
Choose the file in the converter above and download the OGG. It runs in your browser with no upload.
Will converting M4A to OGG reduce quality?
A little, because OGG is lossy. Keep the original file.
Why did the file size change by -51.2%?
The target codec and settings decide the size. This 10 second clip came out at 119 KB, about 95 kbps.
How long does it take?
A 3 second clip took 0.13 seconds in the browser engine in our test; time grows with the length of the file.
How long will an M4A file of 100 MB take?
At the speed we measured in the browser engine, about 3.0 minutes for a file like our clip. Your device and the content will change it.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The conversion runs in your browser.
Is there a size limit?
Files up to 100 MB. The first conversion downloads a converter engine of about 30 MB once per visit.
More converters
Sources and how we checked
- MDN: Media container formats
- MDN: Web audio codec guide
- MDN: Image file type and format guide
- FFmpeg documentation: stream copy
- FFmpeg Documentation: ffmpeg (stream selection, -map, -c copy) (read 2026-10-09)
- MDN: Web audio codec guide (read 2026-10-09)
- Blender Foundation: Big Buck Bunny (CC BY 3.0), the clip used for the measurements (read 2026-10-09)
Reviewed October 8, 2026. What the converter writes was measured with ffprobe on the same FFmpeg build your browser downloads; format descriptions follow MDN's media guides.