What follows is the demonstration on How to convert WMA to a format to be used on QuickTime on Mac. For Windows users, please try Video Converter for Windows. If you have any WMV video that you want to play with QuickTime in Mac, refer to How to Play WMV using QuickTime. Step 1: Put WMA.
'I just moved from Windows to Mac and have loads of music files in WMA format. I now need to transfer these WMA songs to my iPod touch 4 and was reminded that the WMA format is not friendly with iPod touch 4. Is there any way to help me convert these WMA songs to MP3 format on my Mac computer, and how?'
Due to the format incompatibility between devices or players, you may need to convert video or audio format from one to another. The common audio format MP3 is always the widely used one that is compatible with iPod touch 4 as well as other ordinary music players or devices. And there are indeed some useful ways to convert WMA to MP3 on Mac OS. Actually, it is necessary and easy to find an online or offline WMA to MP3 Converter Mac version that is worth trying. In this post, five excellent WMA to MP3 Converters for Mac will be listed and the converting process of WMA to MP3 for Mac users will be provided.
Part 1: Why do You Convert WMA to MP3?
Convert compress and encode audio files from all popular audio file formats including mp3, wav, wma, flac and many other sound formats. Download for Windows Download for Mac Learn more about audio converting Download the free home version. Audio MP3 WAV WMA OGG Converter software is designed for converting audio formats mp3, wav, wma, ogg from one format to another, Mac Audio Converter. Free download Opus converter for Mac or Windows version to convert Opus audio files to MP3, AAC, FLAC, AC3, WAV, WMA, OGG, RA, AU, M4A etc. This powerful Opus Audio Converter also helps to convert video or audio files to Opus audio format.
WMA, initials of Windows Media Audio, is a file format that is developed by Microsoft that enjoys the same popularity of MP3. WMA is widely used for online music streaming and some portable devices. While MP3 is a coding format for digital audio that uses a lossy compression mechanism, which is also the most prevailing format that is recognized by most of the players and audio devices. Thus, it is imperative to convert WMA to MP3 to get the WMA files compatible with some devices such as iPod. To help you Mac users out, there are some useful ways for reference to convert WMA to MP3 and detail guide here will help you get lossless MP3 audio file from WMA as easily as you can.
Part 2: Five Solutions to Convert WMA to MP3 on Mac
Talking about converting WMA to MP3 on Mac, the professional audio converters will be helpful. Moreover, there are also some online solutions that can help you convert WMA to MP3 easily. In terms of converting WMA to MP3 on Mac, here recommend 5 solutions proved to be effective and efficient.
Solution 1. Convert WMA to MP3 on Mac with Leawo Video Converter for Mac
On Mac OS, you can get help from a third party application--Leawo Video Converter for Mac to convert WMA to MP3. As one of the best video & audio converters on Mac OS, Leawo Video Converter for Mac is designed to convert video and audio files in more than 180 formats on Mac. It supports a variety of video files including MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, MTS, FLV, etc., as well as various audio files like WMA, MP3, AAC, FLAC, AC3, etc. Besides, it works fast with the original quality reserved. Just simply download and install it on your Mac, and then check out the content below which will guide you through the whole process of using Leawo Video Converter for Mac to convert WMA to MP3 Mac:
1. Run Leawo Video Converter for Mac, click Video Converter tag to enter the interface. Click Add File button or drag the WMA file to the converter to import source file. If necessary, you can merge audio files together by clicking “Merge all files into one” button next to the green Convert.
2. There's a button on the left side of the green Convert button on the converter, click it to call out a drop-down menu, and click Change in the middle to go to the Profile panel. Choose MP3 as the default output format in Format>Common Audio.
3. Click Edit on the aforementioned drop-down menu to enter the Profile Settings panel where you can change the settings of the output format. Parameters available for change include: Audio Codec, BitRate, Sample Rate, Channel.
4. Go back to the interface of the converter, click the green Convert button and there would be a sidebar coming up from the right side of the interface, set the directory for the output file on the sidebar and click Convert button at the bottom and the WMA to MP3 conversion will start.
Solution 2. Convert WMA to MP3 on Mac with Professional Audio Converter
Here's another application on Mac OS to convert WMA to MP3—a professional audio converterMediaHuman. This is a freeware software for Mac OS X users to convert their music to formats like MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AIFF and Apple Lossless, etc. To convert WMA to MP3 Mac users could try to use this free WMA to MP3 Converter Mac with no learning curve.
The content below would guide you through the process of using this WMA to MP3 Converter Mac to convert WMA to MP3 Mac.
The content below would guide you through the process of using this WMA to MP3 Converter Mac to convert WMA to MP3 Mac.
Step 1: Open MediaHuman Audio Converter, drag source WMA files to the converting list.
Step 2: Choose MP3 as the default output format from the pop-up menu and choose the quality of the output format.
Step 3: Go to settings, set the directory for the output MP3 file and click Start to initiate the conversion.
Solution 3. Convert WMA to MP3 with Convertio
Except for the application mentioned above, some useful online converters are also available for you to convert WMA to MP3 as effective solutions. Convertio, one of the most popular free online WMA to MP3 converters, supports over 200 video and audio formats from your computer, Dropbox, Google Drive and even from a URL. You can follow the simple steps below to convert WMA to MP3 in minutes.
Step 1. Upload WMA files. Click the Computer icon to select the WMA file from your Mac or drag the WMA files to the page directly.
Step 2. Choose MP3 as a result format.
Step 3. Click the Convert button and then you can download the output MP3 files afterwards.
Solution 4. Convert WMA to MP3 with iTunes
Actually, Mac users can also use iTunes to convert WMA to MP3. It is known to all that iTunes is an inbuilt application on Mac operating system for playing media files. It is convenient for you to take advantage of it to convert WMA to MP3 with iTunes as well. Here comes the simple guide.
Step1. Start iTunes on your Mac. Remember to update iTunes to the latest version to make sure it works efficiently.
Step 2. WMA files can be browsed under Music playlist. Or if not, you can also add WMA files to Music library.
Step 3. Choose a WMA file and then double click it to pop up a window where you can find the option “Create MP3 Version”. Click it to start the conversion and you will get the converted MP3 file finally.
Solution 5. Convert WMA to MP3 on Mac with VLC
VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework developed by the VideoLAN team. It can play everything including Files, Discs, Webcams, Devices and Streams. Besides, it supports most codecs with no codec packs needed including MP4, WAV, WMV, MP3, AAC, WMA and more. It also supports converting these file formats to MP3, WebM, OGG, ASF, MP4, FLAC, and so on. It can work on all platforms like Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Unix, iOS, Android, etc. As a powerful program, you can convert WMA to MP3 on Mac using VLC without any spyware, ads, and user tracking.
Step1. Run VLC media player. And then click File > Convert / Stream on status bar at top of the Mac screen as shown below.
Step2. When a new window pops up, you can drop the WMA file to the program. Or you can add WMA file by clicking “Open media”. Then choose Audio-MP3 as the output format. Here you can choose proper bitrate, channels, samplerate and subtitles to customize your MP3 audio as well. Finally, click on Save as File to choose a location to save WMA as MP3 on Mac.
Part 3: Compare the solutions
Obviously, the solutions mentioned here are all helpful to some extent for converting WMA to MP3. And they have their own distinctive features when used to convert WMA to MP3. In order to choose the solution that works most efficient and convenient for you, it is necessary to make a simple comparison between them. Now check the table content below to make it clear.
Features | Video Converter | MediaHuman | Convertio | iTunes | VLC |
Software installation | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
All Audio Conversion | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Video Conversion | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
Audio Customization | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Extracts audio track from video | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Simple and intuitive interface | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Convert files in batch | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
File size limitation | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Lossless output quality | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Working Speed | Fast | Fast | Slow | Slow | Slow |
Cost | Free for trial | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Eventually, you must have been aware of the differences and features of the five solutions mentioned above to convert WMA to MP3. It is obvious that Leawo Video Converter for Mac is the most powerful and full-featured solution since it can not only convert WMA to MP3 but also convert almost all video and audio format to each other without any quality loss. And the application MediaHuman is also an excellent solution to convert music absolutely free to WMA, MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AIFF and so on. While the online Convertio is also an amazing solution to convert WMA to MP3. The disadvantage of this solution is that you must have access to network when you use this way and the privacy is not completely guaranteed. iTunes can only convert WMA to MP3 one by one rather than in batch and it spends a lot of time. VLC is actually a media player rather than a professional audio converter. So, it is not practical to convert WMA to MP3 in some way. Anyway, the solutions here can help you convert WMA to MP3 and you can use any one of them.
by Brian Fisher • Jul 24,2019 • Proven solutions
Whether you are encoding a piece of video, or you just want to play a video file, it's important to know what a codec is and how to use it. In this article, we'll be focusing mainly on the WMV codec for both Windows and Mac, which programs are compatible with it, and how to get around a few common difficulties often experienced by users.
Part 1. Convert WMV Video for Any Player with the Best WMV Codec on Mac
In order to play WMV videos on various players or devices on Mac, you may need a video converting tool to convert your WMV videos to any video as needed. Here UniConverter is highly recommended. If you don't want to waste time in converting WMV video files, this video converter also supports to play WMV files directly with its built-in media player without need to install any other WMV codec.
Get the Best WMV Codec Mac:
- Convert 150+ Formats: Convert videos or audio files up to 150+, like AVI, MP4, WMV, M4V, MP3, AAC, MOV, M4A, etc.
- Custom Video: Personalize videos with diversified video editing tools such as Trim, Crop, Rotate, Effects, Watermark, etc.
- Optimized Presets: Directly convert WMV files to fit Apple devices and Android devices.
- Transfer to Devices: One click transfer converted WMV or other videos files to portable devices with USB cable.
- Convert Online Video: Download or capture any online video with the supplied media downloader.
- Burn Video: Burn your WMV videos or other videos to DVD as backup or copy for home use with ease.
- Support OS: Perfectly compatible with macOS 10.7 and above up to the latest 10.14 Mojave and Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista.
Step-by-step Guide to Convert WMV Videos on Mac
Step 1. Import your WMV video to the Mac converter
To import your WMV files, please select the 'Add Files' option, and then a pop-up window will appear for you to choose WMV videos. Alternatively, you can directly drag and drop your WMV videos to the WMV converter.
Step 2. Set the output format
You can choose any format you want on the right side of the converter's window, such as MOV, MP4, etc. Choose any one you want from Video/Audio/Device/Editing tab and set it as the final output format. This WMV converter also supports to change encode settings like bitrate, frame rate, sample rate, quality, etc. For the need, just click the Setting icon beside to change the parameters.
Step 3. Start converting WMV video
After that, you can begin converting the WMV video to the format compatible with the player on your Mac by clicking the 'Convert All' button at bottom right or 'Convert' in each imported WMV video. Once it's done, you can play and watch it on any Mac computer.
In addition, this WMV converter is also a WMV player for Mac without need to install other WMV codec on Mac. Once you imported the WMV video to this converter, click the thumb icon in the video display bar to open the player window. If you don't want to convert the WMV files, you can enjoy them in the converter too.
Part 2. WMV Players for Mac
#1. VLC for Mac
One of the most powerful and popular WMV media players available for Mac. VLC is an open source utility which allows you to play almost any video codec you can think of, including WMVs. Reliable, stable, and fast, VLC is a great option for playing any media files on Mac. You can download it for free.
#2. MplayerX for Mac
Similar to VLC, this program will handle WMVs alongside a number of other audio and video file formats. Incorporating some advanced interactive technologies such as multi-touch, MplayerX is consistently updated and a very good alternative to VLC. It's also free! Grab a copy, HERE.
Part 3. WMV Codec for QuickTime on Mac
Although the WMV codec was built for Windows PCs only, due to its popularity it is important to be able to play such files on a Mac computer as well. Luckily, a number of great options exist out there for doing just that. Let's take a look at a few of them:
Flip4Mac WMV Components for QuickTime
By installing Flip4Mac, you will equip your QuickTime installation with the ability to play WMV files. Furthermore, Flip4Mac also includes a decoder for WMA, which is an audio codec normally only playable through a Windows PC. What's great about Flip4Mac is that it provides Mac owners with the means to, not only play WMVs, but to also edit and encode them if they wish to distribute videos through that format. There are a number of editions available ranging from the basic Player option for $5.95 which only allows playback, up to the Studio Pro HD edition for $179 which provides the ability to encode WMV files in HD. You can buy Flip4Mac HERE.
Part 4. WMV Codec Tips & Troubleshootings
#1. What is a WMV Codec?
The WMV codec is the Windows Media Video format. It is essentially an older video codec, but is still widely used today. It was developed to allow Windows users to play videos and to encode video files so that they were much smaller, while still preserving a level of quality. Its popularity has not waned, and it is possible to even find a WMV codec for Windows 7.
#2. Why Use a WMV Codec?
While the WMV format is older than most other widely used formats today – often considered a 'legacy' format – it is still widely used. The reason for this is simply that it works, and still provides some advantages over even the most recent and innovative video codecs. Its size and ability to preserve a level of video fidelity mean that it isn't disappearing anytime soon. This has proven to be a problem for many users, especially on Mac computers, as they are not immediately compatible with the WMV codec.
Now, whether you are a Mac or Windows user, skip ahead to your relevant section for more information on using WMV files.
#3. Why Can't Windows Media Player 12 play WMV files?
Even Windows can have problems playing WMV files at times. This is often due to corrupt or outdated software on your system. One of the best solutions for this is to click Start>All Programs>Accessories. Now, right-click on the Command Prompt and choose 'Run as 'Administrator'. Once you've typed in your computer password, type sfc /scannow. This will update all of your Windows components and will hopefully rectify the problem.
#4. I've installed a media player on my Mac, but it won't play WMV.
This could be due to a bug or unforeseen software conflict. The best approach is to uninstall the player, reboot, and then try another media player. If this does not solve the problem, try VLC and use their support forums to find a solution.
#5. The audio plays, but there is no video.
Mac Convert Wma To Mp3
You may have installed the WMA component without the WMV codec. Make sure to install the codec either on its own or through one of the media players listed above.
Free Wma To Mp3 Mac
#6. I can play WMVs, but can't encode them.
Free Wma Mp3 Converter Download
Some media players only allow you to play a WMV file back, but you need to purchase a premium version of the player in order to encode as well. VLC should give you the ability to encode and decode for free, but you will have to look at the documentation for your video editor to see if this will be compatible with it.
#7. I get an error message saying the file has been corrupted.
This is a common issue. Often it simply means that either the encoding process did not finish correctly, or there has been a file error if the video file was downloaded from another source. One way to correct this issue is to use a program called AsfBin, which you can download HERE. It will re-encode the video file hopefully removing the error.
It's remarkable how much staying power the WMV codec has had. Despite other more efficient codecs being released, it continues to be used by many on the internet as a quick, easy-to-use format which is strikes a great balance between file size and video quality. In fact, if you are looing for a WMV codec for Mac, UniConverter must be your best choice.