Top 3 Ways to Convert WMA to MP3 on Windows & Mac (2026 Guide)

'Format Unsupported' is a message no music lover wants to see. While WMA files work great on Windows, they often fail when you try to play them on an iPhone, Android, or even your car’s sound system. This compatibility gap can make your favorite library feel trapped. To enjoy your music anywhere without restrictions, converting WMA to MP3 is the quickest and most effective fix. This article aims to provide easy and effective ways for audio conversion.

WMA vs. MP3: Which Format is Better

What is WMA

Windows Media Audio (WMA) is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. The name can be used to refer to its audio file format or its audio codecs. It is a proprietary technology that forms part of the Windows Media framework. WMA consists of four distinct codecs. The original WMA codec, known simply as WMA, was conceived as a competitor to the popular MP3 and RealAudio codecs. WMA Pro, a newer and more advanced codec, supports multichannel and high-resolution audio. A lossless codec, WMA Lossless, compresses audio data without loss of audio fidelity (the regular WMA format is lossy). WMA Voice, targeted at voice content, applies compression using a range of low bit rates.

What is MP3

MP3 is an audio-specific format that was designed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) as part of its MPEG-1 standard and later extended in MPEG-2 standard. MPEG-1 Audio (MPEG-1 Part 3), which included MPEG-1 Audio Layer I, II and III was approved as a committee draft of ISO/IEC standard in 1991, finalized in 1992 and published in 1993. Compared to WMA files, MP3 is a lossy compressed audio format, which is smaller in size. But there should be some quality loss after conversion. MP3 format is a frequently used audio format because it is small in size, but relatively high in audio quality. When you convert WMA to MP3, you can store more songs with the same space.

Method 1: Best Professional Way to Batch Convert WMA to MP3 (High Quality)

AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate is a professional WMA to MP3 converter that supports lossless audio conversion. It supports 200+ input and output formats, which can easily convert WMA files to MP3 in batch. By combining lightning-fast GPU acceleration, which delivers speeds up to 70x faster than standard converters, with a robust batch processing system, it turns hours of work into seconds. Most importantly, it bridges the compatibility gap between WMA and MP3 while perfectly preserving ID3 metadata, ensuring that your artist names, album art, and track details remain intact and organized across all your mobile devices and car stereos. Thus, you can enjoy this WMA music on your iPhone, iPad, iPod, iPod touch, PSP, PS3, PS4, Zune, HTC, LG, Samsung, Motorola, and more.

1. Free download the program

Here you can free download this WMA to MP3 Converter for Windows and Mac version from the official website of AnyMP4, and then install is on your computer under the guidance of its direction. To convert WMA to MP3, you shall launch the program to open the main interface.

2. Add WMA audio file to the program

There are 3 ways for you to upload the target WMA files onto the program. After opening the main interface of AnyMP4 WMA to MP3 Converter, you can click "Add Files" button to open a new window. Locate the file and start to add WMA file to the program. Also, you are allowed to click "Add Files" drop-down arrow to select the "Add Folder" option to add multiple audio files to the program. Adding multiple files at one time is one of the outstanding features of the AnyMP4 WMA to MP3 Converter. For people who would come across conversion work frequently, the function of adding and converting several audio files together is attractive and time-saving.

Now, let's come to the third way to add files. At the starting interface of the program, there's a saying, "Drag video and audio files here to convert" guiding you to drag the WMA file you want to convert to the program.

3. Clip the audio file length

Some people may want to extract part of the audio file from a complete video file, or if you just want to cut the unnecessary part of the WMA audio file, you can use "Cut" function for help. Click "Cut" button at task bar of the main interface and then open the "Cut" window, here you can trim the audio length by dragging the slide bar to change the start and end time. Or if you need cut the audio more accurately, set the value of start and end time in the corresponding box in the "Cut" column. And then save all your operation.

4. Edit your audio file

Want to create a personal and unique audio file? This step will guide you to achieve customization. Click the "Settings" button at the button of the interface. You can set and adjust parameters of the audio file in this Settings window, where presents 3 columns, Video Settings, Audio Settings and 3D Settings. In the Audio Settings, you are free to change the Audio Encoder, Bitrate, Channels and Sample Rate. And you can preview your output to make it perfect as well as you can.

5. Merge all files into one file

If you have uploaded multiple WMA files into the program, then you need to merge all files into one file before you convert WMA to MP3. Tick all audio files you want to merge together, and then click "Merge into one file" button to start merging files.

6. Convert WMA to MP3

After setting all the audio you want to convert, click "Convert All" button and start to convert WMA to MP3, then you can enjoy the WMA music on any portable device like iPod, iPhone, iPad, PSP, and Iriver, etc. Just enjoy the audio files for more other devices now.

With the batch convert feature of this powerful tool, you can efficiently convert your WMA files to MP3 for better compatibility. Moreover, you can edit the encoder, channel, sample rate, and bitrate of the output files. However, it provides a limited free trial for you to use, and you can try it first.

Method 2: How to Convert WMA to MP3 for Free using VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is known as a free and open-source video player. It also serves as a converter tool to help you change WMA to MP3. It handles WMA, FLAC, and OGG natively without needing to download extra plugins. It is a powerful tool that enables you to import multiple WMA files at once. With several clicks, you can batch convert WMA to MP3. By utilizing VLC’s robust codec support, you can ensure your audio files are optimized for any device, from iPhones to car stereos, without compromising on sound quality or data security.

Here is a tutorial on how to use VLC to freely convert files.

1. Open VLC

On your computer, open VLC. Click Media on the top menu bar and select the Convert/Save option from its drop-down list.

2. Import WMA Files

In the newly opened window, click Add under the File section to import the WMA files you want to convert. Then, choose the bottom Convert/Save button to go ahead.

3. Choose MP3 as Output and Start Conversion

Choose the output format as MP3 from the Profile settings. You can also set the save folder for the converted MP3 files. Lastly, begin the WMA to MP3 conversion by clicking the Start button.

As a 100% free tool, VLC has no hidden subscriptions, no watermarks, and no file limits, which can be called the best WMA to MP3 converter. Moreover, files are processed locally on your computer, not uploaded to a server. However, the conversion workflow is less intuitive than dedicated apps.

Conclusion

When you have some WMA files, you can convert WMA to MP3, whether for a larger space for more songs or compatibility with MP3 players. You can get multiple solutions from the above article. As for the 4 solutions to transcode WMA to MP3 on your Windows and Mac, you can use the conversion in batch with ease. If you do not want to download programs to your computer, you can also use the online WMA to MP3 solutions. But there is a major restriction, it takes a period of time for the whole conversion. In order to get the best result for the MP3 files, it is still recommended to use AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate to turn WMA to an MP3 file. More questions about how to convert WMA to MP3, you can provide more detailed information in the comments.