How to convert WMA files into MP3 files for free. If you used the old Windows Media Player (WMP) to rip your music CDs to your computer, then there’s a good chance that they were saved in the WMA file format.
The problem is that WMA (Windows Media Audio) although still supported on Windows computers, it isn’t really supported across many other devices.
The solution is to convert your WMA files to MP3, which is the most common audio format and works on just about every media player and device.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to change WMA to MP3.
Convert WMA To MP3
To convert WMA files in to MP3 files, you’ll need to use a third-party application, since Windows does not include a built-in tool for this purpose.
A reliable and secure option is VLC Media Player, a free and open-source program that can convert WMA to MP3.
If you don’t already have VLC installed, you can download it from here https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
- On the VLC download page, click the Download button.
- Wait for the download to start. There’ll be a slight pause of around 5 seconds before anything happens. Don’t be tempted to click on any of the other download buttons. Just wait.
- Once VLC has finished downloading, run the setup.
Installing VLC To Convert WMA To MP3.
Installing VLC is a pretty much standard affair, just keep clicking Next and accept the default settings.
There isn’t anything sneaky about the installation, it won’t try to install unwanted “extra” software on your PC.
Convert WMA To MP3 Using VLC Media Player
Launch VLC media player. To convert your WMA files to MP3, you’ll need to load them into VLC.
Click the Media button in the top left corner.
On the menu that opens, click on Convert/Save. Or you can use the keyboard shortcut CTLR + R.
Adding The WMA Files To Be Converted To MP3
The Open Media window will appear.
- Click the Add button.
- A standard File Explorer window will open. Navigate to where your WMA music files are stored. For example, in the Music folder.
- Select all the WMA music files that you want to convert into MP3 and then click the Open button.
- The selected files will be loaded into VLC. Click the Convert/Save button.
Adding More WMA Files.
If you wanted to add more files just click the Add button again, navigate to and select the files.
You can keep adding as many files as you want to, but keep in mind that the more files that you add, the longer the conversion will take.
WMA To MP3 Conversion Settings
Now that you’ve got the WMA files selected and loaded into VLC, you need to select which format they should be converted to. VLC can handle many different audio formats, but by far the most usable is MP3.
- On the VLC Convert screen, click the drop down arrowhead beside the Profile box.
- Scroll through the menu and select Audio-MP3.
- Click the Start button to begin the conversion.
As each WMA file is loaded for conversion, you’ll see it’s filename appear at the top left of the window. You don’t really get any sort of progress bar. When all the files have been converted, VLC media Player will appear.
After Changing WMA Files To MP3
In changing WMA to MP3, VLC doesn’t destroy or delete the original WMA files. It simply creates new ones with the same filenames and in the same folder, but in the MP3 format.
- Leave everything as is – You can just leave the WMA and MP3 files together in the same folder. But for me, that’s just going to lead to confusion later on.
- Delete the WMA files – Deleting the WMA files out of the way would be an option, but then if something has gone wrong with the conversion, you’re kind of stuck.
- Move the WMA files to another folder – My preferred option. Moving the WMA files to a different folder means that you have a backup and at the same time, they’re out of the way.
Summary
Use VLC to convert WMA files to MP3 files. It’s free to use and much quicker than using an online converter and doesn’t carry the risk of downloading something else.
Related Posts
How To Remove DRM From WMA Audio Files.
If you get any errors when loading your files to be converted, it’s likely that they contain DRM copy protection.
How To Copy A Music CD to Your Computer
Use Media Player to rip CDs in future. This guide will show you how to select which format to use.
How To Make An MP3 CD
A lot of modern CD players can handle MP3.
Something For The Weekend
Change the folder icons of your music folders to the CD covers.
When you’ve finished ripping your CD collection, make them really stand out by using the CD cover art as the folder icon.
Simply download the cover art by searching Google Images and then follow these guides to create stunning icons.
