M4A is an audio equivalent of MP4 video file. It is often created on Apple Smartphones and is compressed with Apple Lossless Encoder. You can play these files using iTunes, Windows Media Player, VLC Player, etc.
However, like all other files, M4A is also susceptible to corruption or damage, and there are several reasons for the same. It gets corrupted due to virus infection, incomplete file sharing, crahsed recording application or sudden phone shutdown.
Whatever be the reason is, there're several methods to initiate m4a file repair. Here, we've pulled together the best and practical tools to fix the damaged m4a file on Mac/ Windows or online.
Part 1: Best Tools To Repair M4A Mac/Windows
Searching for the tools to repair m4a mac/ windows? Here's a quick rundown of the three effective tools that are worth giving a try.
3 Best M4A Repair Tools
1. Repairit Audio Repair Tool
Wondershare Repairit offeres you awesome audio repair function. The gratest feature of it is that it supports the 5 most common audio formats, including m4a, mp3, aac, flac, and wav formats. Meanwhile, device compatibility is another advantage of it, which means it can repair audio from portable voice recorders, recording software, shooting cameras, etc.
Features
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Repair damaged audios with all levels of corruption, such as audio not working, clipping audio, humming audio, rumbling audio, sibilant audio, out-of-sync audio, etc.
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Repair audios of diverse formats, including MP3, M4A, FLAC, AAC, WAV, etc.
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Repair damaged or corrupted audios from mutiple devices: portable voice recorder, recording software, shooting apparatus, SD cards, phones, hard drives, USB flash drives, etc.
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Support Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022, and macOS 10.10~macOS 14.
Follow the steps mentioned below to execute the process.
- Step 1: Add the audio files: you need to add the corrupted one, and a sample audio files, which should be of the same source and format.
- Step 2: Waiting for the repair process to finish: Repairit will automatically match the sample audio and corrupted audio and repair them effectively.
- Step 3: preview and save the audio files: you can have a full preview of the repaired audio files, and chooose a path as you want to save them..
This video can help you fix your corrupted audio files with a step-by-step guide.
2. Kernel Video Repair Tool
This tool is specifically designed to fix the corrupted or damaged audio and video files in an easy way.
It is a quick solution to repair the unplayable m4a audio files. You can add multiple files from different formats at once and save the repaired file at a user-defined location.
Features
- Easy to install
- Lightweight
- Can fix multiple files at once
- Simple and interactive UI
Follow the steps mentioned below to execute the process.
- Download and install the software by using the on-screen prompts. Go to the Applications menu and launch it on your device.
- Click on the “+” button on the home screen to add the corrupted M4A file.
- Browse the location of the M4a file, select the damaged file, and tap “Open.”
- The tool will then scan the file and upload it. After that, click on the “Repair Files” button to proceed further.
- Choose the saving location for the repaired file and click Ok.
- The tool will then take a while to repair the file. Once it gets repaired, it will save the file at the preferred location. Tap on the “Close” button to get the job done.
3. iBeesoft Data Recovery
No matter how you lost M4A files, the iBeesoft Data Recovery tool is one of the best software for users to fix the broken or unplayable files from Mac, Android, Windows, External Disk, and USB Flash Drive. It is easy to install and ideal for beginners and pro editors alike.
Features
- Excellent compatibility
- Supports a wide range of formats
- Recovers corrupted or deleted files from a range of devices.
Here's how you can do it.
- First of all, install the iBeesoft recovery software on your device. Click the Download button to get the installation package for your computer. Make sure to choose the correct version, depending on your operating system.
- Once the software gets installed, select the target destination to scan. Choose the corrupted M4A audio file and click on the “Scan” button to let the tool scan the target destination for the lost or damaged M4A audio files.
- The software may take a while to complete the scanning process, especially if you have too many corrupted files to scan.
- When it gets done, filter the file type in the left panel and check out the details on the right side. Click on the “Recover” option to save the repaired M4A files. Make sure not to save them to the location where they get deleted or lost.
4. Use VLC Player
VLC Player is one of the prominent software to repair m4a mac/ window. This tool is available on both Windows and macOS. In addition to repairing these files, the tool also allows you to convert all kinds of video formats to AVI.
Features
- Simple to use
- Compatible with both Windows and Mac
- Supports a massive range of formats
Follow the step-by-step procedure mentioned below to carry out the process.
- Download the VLC Player from its official website and launch the tool on your system. Now, click on Ctrl + R to access the “Open Media” pop-up page.
- The users need to tap on the “Add” button to choose the corrupted M4A files.
- Once the files get uploaded, go to the bottom right corner and click on the Convert/ Save option.
- In the Destination File text bar, select a codec and input destination for your file and click on the Start button.
- After that, click on the Ctrl + P to launch the Simple Preferences, Windows Page.
- Move your cursor to the top of the page and select Input/ Codecs. Navigate to the Damaged or Incomplete AVI file and choose the Always Fix option from the drop-down menu.
- Tap on the Save button to complete the process.
Part 2: How to Repair a Corrupted M4a File Online Free?
Wish to repair corrupted m4a files online free? There are various tools that might help you out. These web-based applications work right from your macOS, Windows, Android, or iPhone, thus eliminating the need to download or install anything.
While the options are endless, we have taken the example of the Restore.Media tool. It is an online M4A repair tool that allows you to fix the audio file without spending a single penny. This is how it works!
- Create a free account on Restore.Media.
- Once you create an account, you will get a confirmation email. Click on the link given in the email to begin the process.
- Tap on the “Get Started” button to continue.
- Choose the device you generally use to record the damaged m4a file. Make sure you pick the correct device to increase the efficiency of the process.
- Create a recovery task. Give the task any name and click on the Next button.
- Now, upload the damaged file.
- At this step, the online tool begins the repairing process. However, if it asks to upload a sample file, it means the tool wants to extract the metadata from the valid playable file and add it into the corrupted file.
- Once everything is done, the tool starts repairing and the file gets fixed in a short while.
Note: While using the Restore.Media and getting audio preview is free, you have to submit a small fee to download the repaired file in its original quality.
Part 3: Bonus Tip To Recover Lost m4a Files: Wondershare Recoverit!
What to do when your video get lost? For instance, you unintentionally deleted your video files and emptied the Recycle Bin, but don't know how to get your lost videos back.
Add Wondershare Recoverit to your collection and make your video files playable once again. This third-party software is ideal for fixing the lost m4a files in the least possible time. This tool boasts a video repair function that helps fix the unplayable m4a file.
Features
- It is 100% reliable and safe
- Compatible with both Windows and macOS
- The tool has a 95% highest recovery rate.
- It supports almost all types of file formats.
You can check the complete step-by-step guide to recover m4a file repair here.
Wondershare Recoverit - Recover Your Precious Videos
1,010,994 people have downloaded it.
Save your accidentally deleted videos, and also repair the broken videos.
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Preview files before you recover them.
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Bottom Line
So, that's all about the m4a file repair process. We hope you have enjoyed reading the guide and found it informative. Nothing is more frustrating than an unplayable m4a file; hence it is advised to follow the appropriate procedure while transferring or downloading these files to avoid any trouble later on.
While all the tools mentioned above are practical and efficient in dealing with the corrupted m4a files, you should opt for the Wondershare Recoverit for the best results. This third-party software is a sure-shot approach to repairing the unplayable files in no time.
* Some of the above codec formats may need to be supported by system.
