Files ending with the .M4B extension can be identified as audiobooks. And there are two types of M4B audiobooks: one is DRM protected iTunes Audiobooks, the other is DRM-free Audible AAX books. No matter whether they are DRM free or not, M4B audiobooks have many limitations when playing them. So how to convert M4B to MP3 to make full use of audiobooks? Well, you will find the answer in this guide.
What is the M4B Format?
A file with the M4B file extension is a MPEG-4 Audio Book file which is normally purchased from Apple's iTunes Store. And the audio in an M4B file is encoded with the AAC compression format and can, therefore, be protected with Apple's FairPlay DRM copy protection system in order to restrict access to only computers and iOS devices that have been authorized via iTunes.
Some people might be confused with M4B and M4A format. While the M4A audio format is basically identical to M4B except that those types of files are used for music instead of audiobooks.
Tips: Speaking of M4B format, you may only think of iTunes audiobooks, however, the decrypted Audible AAX books are also M4B books.
How to Convert DRM Free M4B to MP3
There are 2 powerful tools that can help you convert DRM free M4B to MP3 efficiently. Most importantly, unlike other audio converters, these two tools are totally free and have no size limitation. So it can help you convert DRM free M4B to MP3 as quickly as possible.
Tool 1: VLC media player
VLC is a completely free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files and various streaming protocols. Besides this, VLC media player is also amazing audio converter. Read below detailed instruction if you need to convert M4B to MP3.
Download VLC to your computer and open it. Go to Media > Convert/Save. Tap on Add to insert your M4B file then press Convert/Save. A pop-up window will appear, drop down Profile then select Audio – MP3. On the same window, click Browse to select an output folder and finally click Start. VLC will then convert M4B to MP3 and save it on your PC.
The file conversion may take a lot of time depending on the size of your audio files.
Tool 2: Convert M4B to MP3 with iTunes
iTunes is the best way to organize and enjoy the music, audio files, and TV shows you already have. And it will also be one of your options as it can handle basic transcoding jobs if you are using a Mac. Though most M4B files are copy-protected, some of them are DRM-free. For the non-protected M4B files, you can use iTunes to directly convert the M4B to MP3.
To use iTunes as an M4B to MP3 converter, you just open the program and add your M4B file. You can just drag them into your library. Then select the M4B file and click File in the upper left menu bar. Then choose Convert > Create MP3 Version in the drop-down menu. The audiobooks will then be created as an MP3 file saved in Music Category.
How to Convert Encrypted M4B to MP3
Fed up with being restricted to play your M4B audio files on only specified devices due to the DRM copy protection? Now it's time to free your audio library. Because encrypted Audible AAX books are actually M4B format books, I am going to guide you on how to convert iTunes DRM M4B books as well as the decrypted Audible AAX books to MP3 in this part.
1. How to Convert iTunes M4B to MP3
With Aimersoft DRM Media Converter, you can legally bypass digital copyright protection from M4B audio files downloaded or purchased from iTunes. After that, you can play your audiobooks anywhere you like without any hassle.
Step 1download Aimersoft DRM Media Converter to your computer.
Step 2add iTunes Audiobooks to Aimersoft DRM Media Converter.
Step 3Choose MP3 as the output format.
Click Audio files to and select MP3 as the output audio format from the drop-down list. Then hit the Start button to start the conversion.
The conversion will take the same time, so you'd better have a rest and leave the computer until it's done. After that, you can transfer them to your MP3 player and enjoy them on your MP3 player, cell phones and other portable players without any restriction.
2. How to Convert Encrypted Audible AAX to MP3
First of all, you need to decrypt Audible AAX books, then you can convert the decrypted AAX to MP3. With the help of Epubor Audible Converter, you can easily convert any DRM-protected audiobooks from Audible, including AAX to DRM-free audio formats, like MP3 which is supported by most popular media playing devices, such as iPod, Kindle, Sony Walkman, etc and other iOS, Android mobile phones or tablets.
Step 1download Epubor Audible Converter to your computer.
Step 2add Audible AAX books to Epubor Audible Converter.
Tips:
1. Only Audible books downloaded from Windows/Mac computers can be converted to MP3 by Epubor Audible Converter.
2. Epubor Audible Converter can automatically detect the downloaded Audible books, so you can easily upload Audible books to Epubor software by just simply clicking Add button, which can save you a lot of time.
Step 3choose MP3 as the output format and hit Convert to MP3 button.
Conclusion
With the above 4 amazing audio converters, now you know exactly how to convert M4B to MP3. The biggest advantage is that you will no longer be restricted by DRM copy protection and format limitation. Next, you just need to transfer the converted MP3 books to your favorite MP3 players or devices to play the audio files.
Hillary Lopez works for Epubor and writes articles about eBooks and eReaders. She explores the best method to help you read eBooks more freely and wants to share all she has got with you.
