Audio converter for Mac: formats and compression
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An audio converter for Mac should fit the file you need: a smaller listening copy or a file for editing. Yuzu Drag offers M4A, WAV, AIFF and FLAC conversion, plus AAC compression in an M4A container. Input support depends on your Mac’s native decoders.
Built-in choices first
For a file that QuickTime Player can open, check File > Export As for the audio-only export option. Play the resulting copy and confirm that your receiving app accepts it. This is a reasonable one-file route when its output fits your needs.
If you already manage recordings in an audio editor, its export dialog may be the better place to choose channel layout and other production settings. Yuzu is for repeated file preparation, not editing a recording's content.
Choose an output
| Choice | Appropriate question to ask |
|---|---|
| M4A | Do I need a smaller AAC listening copy? |
| WAV | Does my editing or delivery workflow request this format? |
| AIFF | Does the receiving audio application request this format? |
| FLAC | Can the destination read this format? |
| Compress | Is a 256, 160 or 96 kbps AAC copy suitable? |
WAV and AIFF exports use 16-bit PCM; FLAC export also uses 16-bit output. Do not treat these conversions as preserving a source recording’s higher bit depth. Keep the original for mastering or archiving.
Re-encoding cannot restore information already discarded by an earlier encoding. A larger output file is not proof of better sound. Keep the original recording and listen to representative sections of the new copy, particularly speech consonants, music transients and quiet passages.
Drag a file to a choice
- Begin dragging a supported audio file in Finder.
- Tap ⇧ to open Convert, then drop on the desired output format.
- To reduce file weight, start a drag and tap ⌘ to open Tools.
- Drop on Compress and choose the available bitrate option that suits the destination.
- Play the new file and check its actual size before delivery.
These operations run locally and create new files. Compression produces M4A with AAC; it does not preserve the source encoding. No fixed reduction ratio applies to all recordings.
Read WAV to M4A, FLAC to M4A or compress audio for the corresponding task. For moving prepared files between folders, see file actions.
More file tasks
| Capability | Input | Output | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compress audio | m4a, wav, aiff, flac | m4a | — |
| Convert audio to AIFF | m4a, wav, flac | aiff | — |
| Convert audio to FLAC | m4a, wav, aiff | flac | — |
| Convert audio to M4A | wav, aiff, flac | m4a | — |
| Convert audio to WAV | m4a, aiff, flac | wav | — |