{"Format":"M4A","ShortName":"M4A","FullName":"MPEG-4 Audio File","Category":"Audio file","Pros":"Although the M4A file is compressed, the quality remains unchanged. The fact that M4A audio files are not protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) means they can be modified and transmitted more freely.","Cons":"M4A is a file format that is well-known in Apple's iTunes, iPod, and other devices. However, as compared to MP3 files, M4A audio playback is problematic due to its lack of compatibility with other devices.","Createdby":"Apple","CreatedbyLink":"https://developer.apple.com/","CreatedInYear":"2004","BasicInformation":"An M4A file is an MPEG-4 audio file that has been encoded with either the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) or Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC). It may hold a variety of audio files, including songs, podcasts, and audiobooks.","DetailedInformation":"MPEG-4 is a multimedia container format for audio and video data that is compressed. .MP4 files, which store audio and video data, use this format. The.m4a suffix, which stands for \"MPEG-4 Audio,\" was created since M4A files exclusively carry audio data. This naming change made it easier to tell the difference between MPEG-4 video and MPEG-4 audio-only files. There is a lossy compression option, like with other audio file types, and it is achieved using AAC encoding. The Apple Lossless format allows for lossless compression, which is not achievable with other audio formats.","Softwaresused":[{"platform":"Linux","softwares":[{"name":"VideoLan VLC Media Player","link":"https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html","image":"/assets/fileimg/99jo0FJ.jpeg","type":"Free"}]},{"platform":"Windows","softwares":[{"name":"File Viewer Plus  —  Get it from Microsoft","link":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/p/file-viewer-plus-4/9nmsdkxc9r3f?rtc=1&activetab=pivot:overviewtab","image":"/assets/fileimg/QdcouPN.jpeg","type":"Freemium"},{"name":"Microsoft Windows Media Player","link":"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-media-player-d10303a5-896c-2ce2-53d4-5bd5b9fd888b","image":"/assets/fileimg/XYvKzO9.jpeg","type":"Free, included with OS"},{"name":"VideoLan VLC Media Player","link":"https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html","image":"/assets/fileimg/99jo0FJ.jpeg","type":"Free"},{"name":"Nullsoft Winamp","link":"http://www.winamp.com/","image":"/assets/fileimg/38J4iOl.jpeg"},{"name":"Adobe Audition CC 2021","link":"https://www.adobe.com/products/audition.html?mv=affiliate&mv2=red","image":"/assets/fileimg/SJ29L8A.jpeg","type":"Free trial"}]},{"platform":"Mac","softwares":[{"name":"Apple itunes","link":"https://www.apple.com/itunes/","image":"/assets/fileimg/rElyIoV.jpeg","type":"Free"},{"name":"Apple QuickTime Player","link":"https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/quicktime-player/welcome/mac","image":"/assets/fileimg/5hGiNf7.jpeg","type":"Free, included with OS"},{"name":"VideoLan VLC Media Player","link":"https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html","image":"/assets/fileimg/99jo0FJ.jpeg","type":"Free"},{"name":"Adobe Audition CC 2021","link":"https://www.adobe.com/products/audition.html?mv=affiliate&mv2=red","image":"/assets/fileimg/SJ29L8A.jpeg","type":"Free trial"},{"name":"Eltima Elmedia Player","link":"https://mac.eltima.com/media-player.html","image":"/assets/fileimg/H7CZmss.jpeg","type":"Free"}]},{"platform":"iOS","softwares":[{"name":"Videolan VLC for mobile","link":"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vlc-for-mobile/id650377962?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4","image":"/assets/fileimg/rawD7q8.jpeg","type":"Free"}]},{"platform":"Android","softwares":[{"name":"File viewer for Android","link":"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vlc-for-mobile/id650377962?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4","image":"/assets/fileimg/6uyiajm.jpeg","type":"Freemium"},{"name":"Videolabs VLC for Android","link":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.videolan.vlc&hl=en","image":"/assets/fileimg/TnwKQd9.jpeg","type":"Free"}]},{"platform":"ChromeOS","softwares":[]}]}