Video conversion
Convert MKV to M4A
Updated Jul 2026
MKV is a video container that can hold multiple audio, video, and subtitle tracks; M4A is an audio-only file that plays in iTunes-style apps and voice memo tools. To convert MKV to M4A, extract the audio track and save it in the M4A format. Doing this on your own computer means the video file never gets uploaded anywhere.
- Extension
- .mkv
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- High-quality video containers
- Extension
- .m4a
- Type
- Audio
- Typically
- iTunes / voice memos
- Compression
- Lossy
Convert MKV to M4A on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert MKV to M4A
- Open Morphjet and drag in the MKV file, or a whole folder of them, that you want to pull the audio from.
- Choose M4A as the output format.
- Convert. Morphjet extracts the audio track and writes the M4A file locally, and nothing leaves your machine.
MKV vs M4A: what actually changes
| MKV | M4A | |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Video, audio, and often subtitles together | Audio only, the video is discarded |
| File size | Large, holds the full video | Much smaller, audio only |
| Quality | Container can hold uncompressed or lightly compressed audio and video | Lossy, the audio is compressed to save space |
| Opens everywhere | No, needs a player that supports Matroska | Yes, plays in iTunes-style apps, phones, and most audio players |
| Subtitles | Can carry multiple subtitle tracks | No, subtitles are dropped |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert MKV to M4A when you only need the audio from a video, like a lecture, a concert recording, or an interview, and you want a smaller file you can carry on a phone or drop into a voice memo app.
Keep the MKV if you still want to watch the video, because converting to M4A throws away the picture and any subtitles for good.
Why not just use an online converter?
MKV files are often large, and uploading one to an online converter just to pull out the audio means sending your whole video, including anything filmed or recorded in it, to someone else's server and waiting for it to come back. Converting on your own computer skips that trip entirely. The video never leaves your machine, and only the audio you asked for gets written back to disk.
Questions
Does converting MKV to M4A keep the video?
No. M4A is audio-only, so the picture is discarded during conversion. If you want to keep the video too, hold onto the original MKV or convert it to a different video format instead.
Will the audio quality drop when I convert MKV to M4A?
It depends on the audio inside the MKV. If it's already compressed, the M4A will sound close to it. If it's uncompressed or losslessly compressed, M4A's lossy compression will shrink it further with a small quality loss.
Can I convert MKV to M4A without uploading the file?
Yes. Morphjet runs the conversion locally, so a large video file never has to travel over the internet just to get its audio pulled out.
Does the M4A keep chapter or subtitle information from the MKV?
No. Subtitles and chapter markers are part of the video structure and don't carry over to an audio-only file. Only the audio track itself is kept.
Why convert to M4A instead of MP3?
M4A generally sounds better than MP3 at the same file size, and it's the native format for iTunes-style apps and voice memos on Apple devices. MP3 is still a safer choice if you need very broad compatibility with older devices.
Morphjet converts MKV, M4A, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.