How to Convert M4P to MP3 - Best, Free, Online

Part 1. What You Should Know About M4P and MP3

What's MP4 vs What's MP3

M4P is a protected MPEG-4 audio. In fact, before the launch of Apple Music Lossless HD, most of the audio files available for download in the iTunes Store were made with the M4P file extension, which is essentially just an encrypted and protected AAC audio file with Apple DRM technology.

MP3 is short for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, a file type that compresses the data needed for audio files. Its size is only one tenth of the storage capacity of a CD track. It was first introduced in 1993 and has since become the standard format for digital audio files.

In general, M4P files tend to have higher sound quality than MP3 files, but they also take up more storage space. Apple M4P files can only be played on authorized Apple devices or computers. MP3, on the other hand, is the most widely used audio file format, and almost all media or music players are capable of opening MP3 files.

Why We Need to Convert M4P to MP3

As you can see from the comparison table below, M4P files are only compatible with all Apple devices and cannot be played on other unlicensed devices or players. Therefore, converting M4P files to the more versatile and widely supported MP3 format is a more convenient idea. In this way, you can enjoy Apple Music MP3 to the maximum.

Part 2. How to Convert DRM-Protected M4P to MP3 on Mac/Windows

There are many M4P to MP3 converters on the Internet that claim to help you handle the conversion, but most of them are rarely successful. When it comes to industry-leading tools, AudFree M4P to MP3 Converter must be on the top of the list. It can not only effortlessly remove Apple Music DRM restrictions, but also convert Apple Music M4P to MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC and so on.

Besides, it's an all-in-one audio converter, fully compatible with Windows and Mac systems. And there is no data loss after conversion - the original quality and ID3 tags of M4P songs will be preserved after 30X conversion speed. Then you can save all your MP3 songs forever locally and listen to them offline even without subscription.

Pros

✔️ Remove built-in DRM protection from Apple Music M4P files

✔️ Convert Apple Music, iTunes audio and Audible audiobooks as well as regular audio

✔️ Convert protected M4P to MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC and other popular formats

✔️ Allow customizing parameters of M4P songs, such as bit rate, sample rate

✔️ Preserve the original audio quality and ID3 tags of Apple M4P songs

✔️ Support batch conversion, convert multiple files at one time

✔️ Simple and intuitive user interface

Cons

❌ Free trial version allows converting only the first 1 minute of each song

How to Convert M4P to MP3 on Mac/Windows

Step 1 Import M4P Songs to AudFree Auditior

Make sure you have downloaded and registered AudFree Auditior on your PC/Mac. Remember to authorize your computer with the correct iTunes account, and that M4P songs will play well. After that, drag the M4P audio files from your computer’s hard drive directly to AudFree Auditior’s conversion window. If you like, you can also use the first Add button to import these files.

Step 2Customize M4P Songs Output Format to MP3

Once the M4P files are added to AudFree Auditior, just click or the Format button and select the audio output format to MP3. Next, go ahead and select to define other audio properties such as codec, channel, sample rate, etc. Then click on the Edit icon, you will be directed to a window where you can edit the ID3 tags of your MP3 music.

Step 3Download and Convert DRM-Protected M4P to MP3

Now click the Convert button and let AudFree Auditior start converting your songs according to your settings above. Once done, you can get the converted MP3 songs from the History folder so that you can play Apple songs on multiple MP3-compatible devices and players without any restrictions.

Part 3. How to Convert M4P to MP3 Online Free

As for converting common M4P to MP3 online, here are three top online tools that let you download M4P files to MP3 for free.

1. FreeConvert.com

FreeConvert.com is a free M4P to MP3 converter that doesn't require any software installation. With an uninterrupted Internet connection, you can use it to effortlessly make M4P convert to MP3 in any web browser.

Using open source and custom software, this ensures that the conversions performed through FreeConvert.com are of high quality. In addition, when you upload M4P files, they are protected by 256-bit SSL encryption and are automatically deleted after 2 hours. This also works well to protect the security and privacy of your documents.

Pros

✔️ Free to use, no need to install any software

✔️ Convert M4P to MP3 free online

✔️ Ensure privacy and security for uploaded M4P files

Cons

❌ Slow conversion speed for larger files

❌ Require Internet connection to use

❌ Limited customization options

How to Turn M4P into MP3

Step 1. Navigate to the FreeConvert.com website.

Step 2. Click the "Choose Files" button and select your favorite M4P file. Or drag and drop it directly to the upload window.

Step 3. After the files are uploaded, click the "Convert to MP3" button to start converting M4P files to MP3.

Step 4. When the conversion is done, click the "Download MP3" button and you have successfully converted your iTunes library to MP3. After that, you have the privilege to play MP3 songs as you like without any limiting condition.

2. Filezigzag

Filezigzag is an online file conversion service that supports over 180 different file formats. It allows users to convert various file types, including audio, video, images, documents and archive files. Therefore, it is also a popular choice for converting M4P files to MP3. However, you can only use M4P files up to 10MB in size for free, and larger files require a paid subscription.

Pros

✔️ Supports over 180 different file conversion formats

✔️ No software installation required

✔️ 256-bit SSL encryption protection for uploaded files

Cons

❌ Limited options for customizable related parameters

❌ File size limit of 10MB for the free version

❌ Dependence on Internet connection

How to Change M4P to MP3

Step 1. Go to the official Filezigzag website.

Step 2. Click "Browse for Files" button to select the M4P files you want to convert, or directly drag and drop your M4P files.

Step 3. Select "MP3" as the output format from the drop-down menu.

Step 4. Tap "Start Converting" button to start the conversion process.

Step 5. Wait for the conversion to finish, hit the "Download" button to download the MP3 files to your computer or device.

3. OnlineConvertFree

The last online tool you can't miss is OnlineConvertFree, which allows users to convert a wide range of file types, including audio, video, images, documents and archived files. What's more, it supports more than 400 different file formats, making it a versatile tool for converting normal M4P to MP3. And the service is free to use, no software installation is required.

Pros

✔️ Support over 400 different file formats

✔️ Simple and user-friendly interface

✔️ Automatic deletion of uploaded files after 24 hours

✔️ Completely free, no software to install

Cons

❌ Conversion speed will be slower for larger files or during periods of high traffic

❌ Internet connection is required to use

How to Convert M4P Files to MP3

Step 1. Visit the OnlineConvertFree website.

Step 2. Click the "Choose File" button to select the M4P file to be converted.

Step 3. Select "MP3" as the output format of the M4P file.

Step 4. Click the "Convert" button to start the conversion process, the conversion time depends on the size of the file.

Step 5. Select the "Download" button to get a more widely compatible MP3 file.

Part 4. How to Convert M4P to MP3 Mac with iTunes

Here are two methods to help you convert M4P to MP3 format with iTunes. Just follow the steps below to try it out together.

How to Convert M4P to MP3 via iTunes Match

Note: This method only works for purchasing M4P files from Apple. Also, you can check this post to learn the difference between Apple Music and iTunes Match: Apple Music vs iTunes Match.

Step 1. Open the iTunes app on your computer, click the "Sign In" button, and enter your Apple ID and password to sign in to your iTunes account.

Step 2. At this time, you can see all the M4P music files purchased from iTunes store, find the music you want to convert.

Step 3. Click on the target music file and click "Delete from Library" there.

Step 4. Hit on "Store" option to open iTunes Store tab and click on "Purchase" link option.

Step 5. Select the "Not in my library" tab and find the song or album you deleted earlier.

Step 6. Finally, click the "Download" icon and go to "File > Convert > Create MP3" Version, thus you can smoothly convert unprotected M4P files to MP3.

How to Convert M4P to MP3 via a Burned CD

You can also convert unprotected M4P to MP3 using a burned CD, this method is applied to those audio files purchased from iTunes. Please remember, each song can only be burned up to 7 times, after burning, the sound quality will be slightly degraded. If you don't mind, follow the steps below to burn Apple Music to CD.

Step 1. Launch the iTunes App on your computer and insert a blank disc into your disc drive.

Step 2. Click "File > New > Playlist" to create a new playlist and save your protected M4P files in this playlist.

Step 3. Click "File > Burn Playlist to Disc" option and adjust the burning settings in a pop-up window named Burn Settings. Once the settings are done, select the "Burn" button to continue burning.

Step 4. After creating the disc, click "File > Convert > Create MP3 Version" to save the contents of the disc to your computer.

Step 5. Finally, click "Edit > Preferences > General" on iTunes option, and then click "Import Settings button to start ripping those iTunes songs from the CD to your computer.

Step 6. Now, your M4P files are all converted to MP3 format and you can see the converted MP3 music on your computer.

Part 5. FAQs About Converting M4P to MP3

Q1: How Do I Open M4P Files?

A: In reality, you can use iTunes on your Apple device to open M4P files. It is worth mentioning that the computer using iTunes app must be authorized to play M4P files, and this can be achieved by logging into iTunes using the same account from which the M4P files were downloaded. Alternatively, you can use QuickTime and PotPlayer to play M4P files.

Q2: How to Open MP3 Files?

A: As mentioned earlier, MP3 is the most widely used audio file format today, and almost all audio playback tools can play MP3 files. You can play MP3 not only in Windows with Windows Media Player, but you can also play MP3 files in Mac with iTunes.

Q3: Can MP3 Players Play M4P Files?

A: Unfortunately, M4P files are not compatible with most popular devices, including MP3 players, Android phones, and even iPod Nano. When you want to transfer iTunes M4P files on your portable MP3 player, or play them in your car, you are always blocked.

Q4: Is It Legal to Convert M4P to MP3?

A: In general, it may be legal to convert M4P files to MP3 for personal use.

Q5: Will Converting M4P to MP3 Affect the Quality of the Music?

A: Yes, since MP3 is a compressed file format and the conversion process itself may result in a slight loss of quality. The degree of loss will depend on the bitrate of the original M4P file and the bitrate of the converted MP3 file.

Part 6. In Conclusion

If you want to convert M4P to MP3 free online, you can choose FreeConvert, Filezigzag, or OnlineConvertFree. But the conversion speed and security can't be guaranteed. We recommend you to use AudFree Apple Music Converter to convert DRM protected M4P to MP3 without any quality loss. And you can also customize various output parameters to enjoy MP3 songs to your heart's content.