How to Convert M4P to MP3 on Windows & Mac
Updated August 31, 2026
M4P is different from every other format on this site: the P effectively stands for protected. These are DRM-locked tracks from the iTunes era, and no honest converter can decrypt them directly, ours included. Anyone claiming to convert M4P in one step is either wrong or doing something shady.
The legitimate route takes two steps: let Apple's own software produce an unprotected copy first, then convert that copy to MP3. Here's the whole thing.
Step 1: create an unprotected copy in iTunes or Apple Music
- 1
Find the song in your library
Open Apple Music (or iTunes on Windows) and select the protected track in your music library.
- 2
Use File, then Convert, then Create AAC Version
Apple's software converts music you own the rights to into an unprotected AAC copy. The new version appears in your library alongside the original.
- 3
Reveal the new file
Right-click the new copy and choose Show in Finder (Mac) or Show in Explorer (Windows). You'll find an .m4a file, no longer protected.
Step 2: convert the M4A to MP3
From here it's an ordinary conversion: drag the M4A into ConvertSave, pick MP3, and click Convert. The MP3 is saved next to the M4A, and everything runs offline on your computer. The M4A to MP3 guide covers this step in more detail if you want it.
Why the two-step dance?
DRM removal by third-party tools is a legal minefield and against the iTunes terms, which is why we don't do it and why you should side-eye tools that claim to. Apple's Create AAC Version exists precisely for music you're entitled to keep, so routing through it keeps everything above board, for personal use of music you own.
Is this safe?
The risk with converting your music library isn't the conversion itself, it's where the conversion happens. Free converter websites work by uploading your file to someone else's server. You usually can't tell who runs the server, where it is, or how long your file sticks around after the conversion finishes. For personal videos and photos that's a real privacy trade, and it's the reason so many of those sites are covered in aggressive ads.
ConvertSave does the conversion on your own computer. Nothing is uploaded anywhere. You can turn off Wi-Fi entirely and it still works, which is also the easy way to verify the claim. Your original file is never modified, and the converted copy is written right next to it.
Frequently asked questions
Can ConvertSave convert an M4P file directly?
No, and neither can any honest tool: the file is encrypted. Create the AAC version in Apple's software first, then convert that.
I don't see Create AAC Version. Why?
Check Settings (or Preferences), then Files, then Import Settings, and set the importer to AAC Encoder. The Convert menu follows whatever the importer is set to.
Some of my old purchases won't convert at all.
Tracks your account isn't entitled to anymore won't convert. For old DRM-era purchases, re-downloading from your purchase history often gets you a DRM-free version outright, since Apple dropped music DRM in 2009.
Is ConvertSave free?
There's a 7-day free trial with all features unlocked. After that it's $9/month, $60/year, or $129 once for a lifetime license that covers 3 personal devices on Mac and Windows.
