Convert M4P to MKV — Free Online Converter
Convert iTunes Protected AAC (.m4p) to Matroska Video (.mkv) online for free. Fast, secure audio conversion with no watermarks or registration....
Secure Transfer
HTTPS encrypted uploads
Privacy First
Files auto-deleted after processing
No Registration
Start converting instantly
Works Everywhere
Any browser, any device
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 .mkv file when it's ready.
About M4P to MKV Conversion
M4P is Apple's DRM-protected audio format, while MKV (Matroska Video) is the open-source multimedia container developed by the Matroska project. MKV is primarily a video container but excels at holding any combination of audio, video, subtitle, and metadata streams. Converting audio-only M4P to MKV creates a Matroska file containing just the audio track, which is useful in specific MKV-centric media workflows.
MKV's strength is its flexibility — it supports virtually every audio codec (AAC, FLAC, Opus, Vorbis, AC3, DTS, PCM), rich chapter metadata, multiple subtitle tracks, and extensive tagging. For users who maintain MKV-based media libraries via Plex, Jellyfin, or Kodi, having audio content in MKV containers keeps the library format consistent.
Why Convert M4P to MKV?
Media server software like Plex and Jellyfin handles MKV files efficiently, with full support for metadata, chapters, and codec detection. If your media library is standardized on MKV containers and you want to incorporate audio from old iTunes purchases, wrapping the audio in MKV maintains format consistency and takes advantage of MKV's superior metadata capabilities.
MKV also supports chapter markers through its native chapter system (Matroska Chapters), which is more flexible than most audio-specific formats. If you want to add chapter points to former iTunes tracks — marking movements in classical music or segments in podcast episodes — MKV provides this capability where M4A does not natively support user-defined chapters.
Common Use Cases
- Incorporate iTunes audio into MKV-standardized Plex or Jellyfin media libraries
- Add chapter markers to old iTunes purchases using MKV's native chapter system
- Maintain format consistency in MKV-based media collections when adding audio content
- Package iTunes audio with external subtitle files (lyrics, transcripts) in a single MKV container
- Create Kodi-compatible audio files with rich metadata from former iTunes library content
How It Works
FFmpeg reads the unprotected M4P file and remuxes the AAC audio into a Matroska (.mkv) container using stream copy (-c:a copy) when possible. The MKV container wraps the audio stream with Matroska's EBML (Extensible Binary Meta Language) structure. Chapter markers can be added via an external chapters file. MKV supports the AAC codec natively, so no transcoding is required — the audio data passes through bit-for-bit.
Quality & Performance
With stream copy, quality is identical to the M4P source. The AAC audio is transferred without re-encoding. MKV adds no overhead to audio quality — it is purely a container change. If you choose to transcode to a different codec (FLAC, Opus, etc.) during the conversion, quality depends on the target codec settings.
Device Compatibility
| Device | M4P | MKV |
|---|---|---|
| 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 for instant lossless conversion — no re-encoding needed for AAC-in-MKV
- 2Add chapter markers via mkvmerge if you want to divide tracks into sections
- 3MKV is best for media servers (Plex, Jellyfin, Kodi) — use M4A for portable music players
- 4Embed album artwork as an attachment stream for proper cover display in media servers
- 5Verify DRM removal before conversion; unprotected M4P remuxes cleanly to MKV
M4P to MKV conversion is ideal for users with MKV-based media libraries who want consistent container format across all their content. The conversion is lossless via stream copy and adds MKV's superior metadata and chapter capabilities.