Convert M4P to iPad Audio — Free Online Converter
Convert iTunes Protected AAC (.m4p) to iPad Audio (.ipad-audio) 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 .m4a file when it's ready.
About M4P to iPad Audio Conversion
M4P and M4A share the same MPEG-4 container — M4P is simply the DRM-protected variant. iPad Audio produces AAC in M4A optimized for iPad's A-series and M-series hardware AAC decoders. Since unprotected M4P is structurally identical to M4A, this conversion can be a near-instant stream copy that strips DRM metadata without re-encoding the audio.
The result is a clean M4A file that plays natively on every iPad model with hardware-accelerated decoding, integrating seamlessly with iPadOS Music app, GarageBand, and all audio applications.
Why Convert M4P to iPad Audio?
Even after DRM removal, M4P files may be flagged as protected by iPadOS apps, displaying warning icons or refusing to play. Converting to clean M4A removes all DRM metadata residue, producing files that every iPadOS application treats as standard unprotected audio.
The iPad's A-series hardware AAC decoder handles M4A natively with minimal battery consumption. A properly formatted M4A file provides the most efficient playback path on iPad hardware.
Common Use Cases
- Cleaning up old iTunes M4P purchases for reliable iPad playback
- Removing DRM metadata residue that causes iPadOS apps to flag files as protected
- Syncing former iTunes purchases to iPad via iTunes or Finder without DRM warnings
- Preparing M4P tracks for iPad GarageBand projects
- Normalizing a mixed M4P/M4A iTunes library for consistent iPadOS compatibility
How It Works
FFmpeg performs a stream copy (-c:a copy) from M4P to M4A, stripping DRM metadata atoms while preserving the AAC bitstream bit-identically. This operation is instantaneous and lossless. All standard iTunes metadata (artist, album, artwork) transfers through the shared MPEG-4 atom structure. The clean M4A output matches iPad's native audio format.
Quality & Performance
With stream copy, quality is perfectly preserved — the AAC audio data is bit-identical to the M4P source. No decoding or re-encoding occurs. This is the cleanest possible conversion.
Device Compatibility
| Device | M4P | iPad Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Partial |
| 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 stream copy (-c:a copy) for instant lossless conversion — do not re-encode
- 2Verify DRM is removed first — use iTunes Match for legal DRM-free upgrades
- 3Batch convert all M4P files at once to normalize your library for iPad
- 4Verify metadata preservation using a tag editor after conversion
- 5This should be the first step when cleaning up an old iTunes library for iPadOS
M4P to iPad Audio is a lightweight container cleanup producing clean M4A files optimized for iPadOS. Stream copy ensures zero quality loss from your iTunes purchases.