Audio conversion
Convert WMA to AAC
Updated Jul 2026
WMA is a Windows audio format that most non-Windows software struggles to open, while AAC is what iPhones, iTunes, and most streaming platforms expect. To convert, open the WMA file in a converter and export it as AAC. Doing this on your own computer means the audio file never has to be uploaded anywhere just to change its format.
- Extension
- .wma
- Type
- Audio
- Typically
- Windows audio
- Compression
- Lossy
- Extension
- .aac
- Type
- Audio
- Typically
- Apple / streaming audio
- Compression
- Lossy
Convert WMA to AAC on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert WMA to AAC
- Open Morphjet and drag in the WMA file, or a whole folder of them, at once.
- Choose AAC as the output format and pick a bitrate if you want to control file size.
- Convert. The AAC files are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
WMA vs AAC: what actually changes
| WMA | AAC | |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Mostly Windows Media Player, patchy support on Mac and iPhone | Plays natively on iPhone, Mac, iTunes, and most streaming apps |
| File size | Comparable to AAC at the same bitrate | Comparable, sometimes slightly smaller for the same perceived quality |
| Quality | Lossy, quality was fixed when it was first encoded | Also lossy, and re-encoding can't restore detail the WMA already discarded |
| Metadata (tags) | Stores title, artist, and album tags | Stores the same tags, though some fields may need re-entering |
| Mobile and streaming support | Not accepted by iTunes or most phones | The standard format for iPhone, podcasts, and many streaming uploads |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert WMA to AAC when you want to play old Windows Media files on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or when you need the audio in a format a streaming platform or podcast host will accept.
Keep the WMA original if it's your only copy and you're not sure you'll need it elsewhere, since converting between two lossy formats can't undo any quality already lost, only add a little more.
Why not just use an online converter?
Old WMA files are often ripped CDs, voice memos, or personal recordings, not things you'd want sitting on someone else's server just to change the file extension. An online converter has to upload the audio before it can hand back an AAC. Converting on your own computer keeps the file, and whatever is in it, on the machine you already trust.
Questions
Does converting WMA to AAC lose quality?
A little. Both formats are lossy, so encoding to AAC works from whatever detail the WMA kept, and can't add anything back. At a reasonable bitrate the difference is usually hard to notice by ear.
Will the AAC file keep my song's title and artist tags?
In most cases yes, since both formats support the same basic tags. Occasionally a field like album art doesn't carry over automatically and needs to be re-added.
Why won't my iPhone play WMA files?
WMA was built for Windows Media Player and was never widely adopted outside Windows, so Apple's software doesn't support it. AAC is the format Apple devices expect instead.
Can I convert WMA to AAC without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file locally, so it never has to travel over the internet. You can do it with no network connection at all.
Is AAC better than WMA?
They're both lossy formats from the same era of digital audio, so neither is strictly better. AAC's advantage today is simply that far more devices and services support it.
Morphjet converts WMA, AAC, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.