Convert M4P to AVI — Free Online Converter
Convert iTunes Protected AAC (.m4p) to Audio Video Interleave (.avi) online for free. Fast, secure audio conversion with no watermarks or registration...
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How to Convert
Upload your .m4p file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.
Choose your output settings. The default settings work great for most files.
Click Convert and download your .avi file when it's ready.
About M4P to AVI Conversion
M4P is an audio-only format — Apple's DRM-protected AAC container from the original iTunes Store. AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is Microsoft's legacy multimedia container designed for video with synchronized audio. Converting audio-only M4P to AVI produces a file containing just the audio track inside a video container — no visual content is present unless a static image or blank video stream is generated to satisfy players that require a video track.
This unusual conversion serves compatibility needs in specific Windows-based systems or legacy media pipelines that only accept AVI input. Some older video editing software, industrial displays, and kiosk systems are hardcoded to read AVI files exclusively, even when the content is purely audio.
Why Convert M4P to AVI?
Legacy Windows applications and hardware from the AVI era (1990s-2000s) sometimes accept only AVI input. Industrial control panels, retail kiosk systems, and older versions of software like Windows Movie Maker or VirtualDub may reject non-AVI files entirely. Wrapping the audio in an AVI container satisfies these format requirements without altering the audio content itself.
AVI is also used as an interchange format in some broadcast and archival workflows where the entire pipeline is standardized on Microsoft's container. If your facility uses AVI-based workflows and you need to incorporate audio from old iTunes purchases, converting M4P to AVI keeps the audio within the established container standard.
Common Use Cases
- Feed iTunes audio into legacy AVI-only kiosk systems or industrial display panels
- Satisfy AVI format requirements in older Windows video editing software
- Incorporate old iTunes audio into AVI-based broadcast or archival workflows
- Create AVI-wrapped audio tracks for legacy media servers that reject MP4/M4A containers
- Generate AVI files with audio-only content for compatibility with VirtualDub processing chains
How It Works
FFmpeg decodes the AAC audio from the unprotected M4P and re-encodes it as MP3 or PCM audio inside a RIFF AVI container. Since AVI traditionally expects a video stream, FFmpeg may generate a minimal blank video track or produce an audio-only AVI depending on the output settings. The command typically uses -c:a mp3 for compressed audio or -c:a pcm_s16le for uncompressed audio in the AVI wrapper. The RIFF header and interleave structure conform to Microsoft's AVI 1.0 specification.
Quality & Performance
If the audio is re-encoded to MP3 at 192-320 kbps, quality is comparable to or slightly below the M4P source (128-256 kbps AAC). If PCM is used, the decoded audio is stored uncompressed — no additional quality loss beyond what AAC already introduced. The conversion is primarily a container change, and audio quality depends entirely on the output codec and bitrate selected.
Device Compatibility
| Device | M4P | AVI |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Native |
| macOS | Partial | Partial |
| iPhone/iPad | Partial | Partial |
| Android | Partial | Partial |
| Linux | Partial | Partial |
| Web Browser | No | No |
Recommended Settings by Platform
Spotify
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 320 kbps
OGG Vorbis preferred
Apple Music
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 256 kbps
AAC format required
SoundCloud
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 128 kbps
Lossless FLAC/WAV for best quality
Podcast
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 128 kbps
MP3 mono for spoken word
Tips for Best Results
- 1Use MP3 at 192 kbps inside AVI for the widest legacy player compatibility
- 2Add a static album cover as a video track if your target player requires a video stream
- 3Consider MP4 or MKV instead of AVI for modern systems — they handle audio-only content more gracefully
- 4Verify DRM removal before conversion; unprotected M4P files convert cleanly
- 5Test the output on your specific legacy system before batch converting your library
M4P to AVI conversion is a niche operation for legacy Windows systems that require AVI containers. The output is an audio-only AVI file with quality dependent on the chosen audio codec.