I’m on Cubase pro 10.5.
Wondering if Cubase 12 finally, finally, finally supports importing m4a files?
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Hi,
No, Cubase 12 doesn’t support m4a files.
that is incredible … can someone tell Steinberg we are 2022 and M4a files are everywhere?
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Hi,
That’s interesting, I haven’t met any. Where are these files in use? What is the use case, please?
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Steinberg knows that - but a decoder license (I assume it’s from Fraunhofer) is very expensive, and they’d have to pass that cost along to the end users. There are a lot of great tools to decode that M4a to a wav file - I use Switch Audio File Converter, and it quickly gets me a nice quality .wav file.
I run into them all the time, which finally brought me here, and wow, I have to support Kajlatso’s response: “That is incredible”. I’m stuck between being surprised and no surprise at all. I understand decoder license issues, but when we’re talking about a program made to specifically work with audio, it’s at a Pro version 12 (pro ver$ion can’t cover that cost?), and it’s 2023.
To be fair, this isn’t some debilitating (needed) issue, I use other programs, but after writing it out- ya, that’s incredible.
it’s mainly cell phones and Apple thing, think garage band
Hi Martin
I often get ‘sketches’ that clients record on iPhones.
I need to convert them before I can import them into Cubase.
That’s a good example of mp4 use- iPhones are extremely popular…,
joe
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Hi Kajlatso
There are ways to work around this problem, e.g. by first converting the *.m4a files into *.mp3 files using free programs from the Internet and only then importing them into Cubase, or by first importing them into SpectraLayers or SpectraLayers one. These programs can import *.m4a files, although this is not documented anywhere, especially not in the comparison table for the different versions of SpectraLayers.
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I use SpectraLayers as well to covert the m4a files and then bring them into cubase. It is an extra step, which can sometimes take time depending on the project because some clients send interviews they’ve captured via cellphones.
My thought is that since it is supported in SpectraLayers, it is reasonable for it to be supported in the pro version of their audio software. Just my thought, but back to work.
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It is ludicrous that they will not allow such a commonly used sketching format as m4a to be accessible from the production side (even in Nuendo) but allow it from the post-production side. Their arbitrary standardizations are exhausting.
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I just convert them on a mac. rip them to .wav or mp3 to thumb drive then…voila. I realize that not everyone has one. And it is stupid that it cannot be done within the program. But if it is important, find someone with a mac or get one to use with Cubase.
Thanks for the tip @tdms. I often receive rehearsals recorded in m4a and had to use online converters. No more thanks to you.
I had the same issue - Cubase 13 pro also doesn’t import .m4a files. And I do not want to upload my files to some online platform to get it converted, So I get it converted in audacity locally on my PC and on the macbook I use garageband (sometimes) or Audacity (works 100%).
I wonder if the free program like audacity get it done why can’t Steinberg.
Same here, working on an old (2021) project which audio was recorded on iphone as .m4a files. I’m on pc, so i will try Audacity for the conversion (thanks @sanjeev.sonar for pointing that out), however also find annoying that the drag and drop of those files into Cubase just doesn’t work, removing the manual conversion extra-step would be much appreciated…
Hey folks
I’m in Cubase pro V13.030 and still no m4a import function…what a waste of time. I could not belive it when I tried and it didn’t work! I mean, it’s 2025, and this is supposed to be a pro version?
So please, add this drag and drop option asap.
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V14 here, still not working…hahaha
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It’s a licensing thing. I’m fine with converting files outside of Cubase/Nuendo if it helps keep the price of the DAW from going up. Takes me all of 15 seconds to do using iTunes.
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I’ve been using this for years, very nice and very free.