Convert WMA to MP3 on Mac

Three local methods. None uploads the file.

1. ffmpeg (free, Terminal). Install with brew install ffmpeg, then run the command below.
2. VLC (free, windowed). Media > Convert / Save, add the .wma file, pick an MP3 profile and start. See the VLC site.
3. Smol (paid app). Drop the .wma files on Smol, choose MP3, set a bitrate and convert.

ffmpeg -i track.wma -codec:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k track.mp3

Not sure which bitrate to use? The audio bitrate guide explains the trade-off.

Not natively. On macOS 27.0.1, afconvert refused our test .wma file with a file type error, while it read Opus and Ogg Vorbis files fine. Music and QuickTime do not play WMA either.

VLC plays WMA directly, so if you only need to listen, install it and skip converting. Convert when you need the file in Music, on an iPhone, or in an editor. Microsoft’s old Windows Media Player for Mac is discontinued, so do not hunt for it.

Run this in the folder. It writes an MP3 beside every .wma and keeps the originals.

for f in *.wma; do
  ffmpeg -i "$f" -codec:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k "${f%.wma}.mp3"
done

Old Windows music libraries often hold hundreds of WMA files, which is where a batch tool pays off. See the batch audio conversion guide for Finder-based options.

WMA and MP3 are both lossy, so converting re-encodes audio that is already compressed. Some quality is lost, though at a bitrate at or above the source it is hard to hear. Keep the .wma originals until you have checked the MP3s.

We encoded a 30 second stereo test tone to WMA at 128 kbps, then converted it. A tone compresses easier than music, so read these as a direction.

A higher MP3 bitrate than the WMA made a bigger file without recovering detail. For shrinking results afterward, see how to compress an audio file on Mac.

WMA is a family. Standard WMA is lossy and converts without fuss. WMA Pro and WMA Lossless are less common, and WMA Lossless is a larger file that keeps every detail. Check what you have first.

ffprobe -hide_banner track.wma

The stream line names the codec, for example wmav2 for standard WMA. If it reads wmalossless, pick a higher MP3 bitrate, because you are starting from a perfect copy and the MP3 is the only lossy step. For a lossless destination instead, convert to WAV or FLAC. Our FLAC to MP3 guide covers that route.

Track titles and artists normally come across to the MP3. Test one file in Music before converting a whole library, since very old WMA files sometimes have odd tags.

For a few tracks, use ffmpeg or VLC. Both are free and fast. Our best audio converter for Mac roundup lists more.

Smol earns its $29 (one payment, one Mac) when you convert audio in batches or mixed folders and want it from the Finder right-click menu, with nothing uploaded. In our test it read a .wma file and wrote an MP3. See pricing.