WMA to AAC Converter
Convert WMA to AAC online for free. Fast, secure, and high-quality conversion with no sign-up or software required.
Maximum file size is 1GB
How it works
Three steps to your converted file
Everything happens in your browser tab - upload, pick a format, download. The heavy lifting runs on our servers.
Upload your file
Drag and drop, click to browse, or paste a URL. Batches take up to 20 files at once - 230+ input formats across video, audio, image, document, and archive types.
Choose an output format
Pick from over a hundred output formats. Filter by category or search by name - every option is open to everyone, no account needed.
Convert & download
Hit Convert and grab your download link moments later. Originals are erased when the job completes; results are cleared within about an hour.
What is a WMA file?
Windows Media Audio (WMA) refers to a series of audio codecs and their corresponding Microsoft container format, designed as a competitor to MP3 and RealAudio. The standard WMA codec is lossy, but the format family includes WMA Lossless, WMA Pro (multichannel), and WMA Voice. It utilizes the Advanced Systems Format (ASF) container structure and supports digital rights management (DRM), which historically restricted playback to authorized Windows devices.
How to open a WMA file
WMA files are native to the Windows ecosystem and open by default in Windows Media Player and Movies & TV. macOS users require third-party components like Flip4Mac (legacy) or universal players such as VLC Media Player and Elmedia Player to decode the stream. Android and Linux support is generally provided via VLC or by installing ffmpeg-based media libraries.
WMA Technical Info
- Full Name
- Windows Media Audio
- Developed By
- Microsoft
- Initial Release
- 1999
- MIME Type
- audio/x-ms-wma
What is an AAC file?
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is a lossy digital audio compression standard defined by ISO/IEC 13818-7 (MPEG-2) and ISO/IEC 14496-3 (MPEG-4). Developed by a consortium including Bell Labs, Fraunhofer IIS, and Dolby Laboratories as the successor to MP3, AAC utilizes the Modified Discrete Cosine Transform (MDCT) algorithm and perceptual noise shaping to discard imperceptible signal components. It supports up to 48 audio channels, arbitrary sample rates, and utilizes extensions such as Spectral Band Replication (SBR) to achieve higher fidelity at lower bitrates than predecessor formats.
How to open an AAC file
AAC serves as the default audio container for Apple's iTunes and iOS devices, ensuring native support within the macOS Core Audio framework and Apple Music. Windows 10 and 11 provide native decoding support via the Groove Music and Windows Media Player applications. For cross-platform playback or advanced stream analysis, users should utilize VLC Media Player or FFmpeg, which contain the necessary libavcodec libraries to decode AAC streams without external codec packs.
AAC Technical Info
- Full Name
- Advanced Audio Coding
- Developed By
- Bell Labs, Fraunhofer IIS, Dolby, Sony, Nokia
- Initial Release
- 1997
- MIME Type
- audio/aac
More tools
Related conversions
Why RunConvert
The fastest way to convert any file
Purpose-built for speed, privacy, and breadth of format support.
Convert WMA to AAC in seconds
Every WMA to AAC conversion runs on our servers, so your device stays fast and the output quality stays intact.
Fast, cloud-powered
No queue, no waiting. Files are processed on high-performance servers and returned in seconds, even for large files.
Secure & private
Encrypted in transit and never shared with anyone. Uploads are erased the moment your job completes, and results shortly after.
Free - no account needed
Convert without creating an account - no credit card, no trial clock. Sign in only if you want history and higher daily limits.
Developer API
Convert WMA to AAC via API
Automate WMA to AAC conversions in three steps: create a job, upload your file, then poll for the result.
# 1. Create job
curl -X POST https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"tag": "wma-to-aac",
"tasks": {
"upload-file": {
"operation": "import/upload"
},
"convert": {
"operation": "convert",
"input": "upload-file",
"output_format": "aac"
},
"export-result": {
"operation": "export/url",
"input": "convert"
}
}
}'
# 2. Upload your file (use upload_url from the response)
curl -X PUT "$UPLOAD_URL" --upload-file input.wma
# 3. Poll for result
curl https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs/$JOB_ID?include=tasks \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your RunConvert API key. Get your free API key at runconvert.com/api.