How to Convert MP3 to MP4 on Mac/Windows: 3 Easy Methods

Prior to delving into this subject, I limited my knowledge to MP4 to MP3 conversion. Does anyone really need to change MP3 files to MP4?

Although MP3 is one of the most popular audio formats, some people may need to convert audio to video format for various reasons. In this article, you will learn about different application scenarios and methods used to convert MP3 to MP4 on Mac or Windows.

Method 1: Batch Convert MP3 to MP4 Video Format with No Image

This method can help you:

• Batch convert multiple MP3 to MP4 with super fast speed
• Convert any other audio formats to MP4
• Also convert MP3 to MOV, MKV, AVI, WebM, M4A, and more
• Merge many MP3 files to one MP4
• Trim MP3
• Increase or decrease MP3 volume

 

Application scenarios:

• MP3 is not compatible with the device

MP3 may not work with the iPhone, iPod, etc. I saw a user on Apple Support Community who wanted to turn MP3 music into MP4 to transfer music to iPhone 11Pro Max.

• Having trouble sharing MP3 audio to video streaming websites

Many video platforms like YouTube and Bilibili do not allow direct MP3 uploads. If you don't need to display images, this is the quickest and easiest way to do so.

• Can’t save audiobooks’ attributes in iTunes

In iTunes, right-click the file, choose "Get Info", you can fill in the title, artist, album, etc. under "Details". iTunes defaults audiobooks to MP4 format. So sometimes, you may fail to save metadata info with an MP3 file.

 

What program to use:

Cisdem Video Converter (Mac and Windows)

 

It's available for laptops, Intel/Apple Silicon Macs, and even low-spec computers. With it, you can convert hundreds of MP3 files to MP4 quickly and keep the best sound quality that the human ear can discern. There is zero learning curve.

This MP3 to MP4 converter supports 600+ input and output formats. It can convert audio to video, audio to audio, video to video, video to audio, DVD to video, DVD to audio.

In addition to conversion, it can be used as the one-stop toolkit for media-related processing, such as editing, playing, downloading, and compressing. It allows you to download MP3 and MP4 media files from YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or any free streaming website.

 

How to Convert MP3 to MP4 video on Mac or Windows with Cisdem Video Converter:

1. Download and install the software.

Free Download macOS 10.13 or later    Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7

2. Launch Cisdem. Simply drag-drop the MP3 files into the conversion board.

3. Choose MP4 as the output format.

Open up the “Output Format” drop-down menu. Go to “Video”, and then choose "MP4", and select a video resolution. Alternatively, you can choose MP4 from preset platform or device.

Optional 1) further configure the format

There is a setting feature for you to adjust the audio codec, quality, sample rate, and channel. You can access these options by hitting the “gear” icon next to the MP4 format.

 

Optional 2) edit the audio

Click the pencil-like icon and the editing window will pop up. This function is more useful for editing videos. For a detailed explanation of what the baked-in editor does, click here.

4. Convert MP3 to MP4 on Mac or Windows

Click the "Start" button for conversion process. Wait for the progress bar to be finished (become a checkmark button). Then click it to located the converted MP4.

 

More programs to try:

• VLC Media Player (desktop alternative for Mac/PC)
• FFmpeg (command-line tool)
• freeconvert.com (online MP3 to MP4 converter)

 

Method 2: Convert MP3 to MP4 with Single or Multiple Images Overlay

This method can help you:

• Split and merge MP3 files
• Export MP3 as MP4 with pictures
• Adjust audio volume
• Speed up or slow down the sound

 

Application scenarios:

• Want to convert MP3 to music video and add pictures to show lyric, cover, or more.
• Share MP3 audio to YouTube, Bilibili, etc. with an image to attract more viewers.
• Already have many pictures, and need to add background music to create a slideshow.

 

What program to use:

iMovie (Mac)

Photo Legacy (Windows 10/11)

 

On Mac:

iMovie is one of the popular video editors provided by Apple for free. It’s powerful and intuitive, which like GarageBand for movies. You can import audios, images, and raw clips, then edit them together.

 

How to convert MP3 to MP4 with image in iMovie:

1. Launch iMovie. Create a new movie project.
2. Click on the “Import Media” and the Finder wizard will appear.
3. Select the MP3 audio and image. Click “Import All”.
4. Drag files into the timeline.
5. Drag the picture border to match the end of the audio.
   A picture is defaulted to 4s in iMovie, and a song is about 3-5 minutes. If the picture duration is shorter than the audio, the part without the picture will appear black. YouTube will accept videos with black screens, but they won't look pretty. Or you can add multiple pictures to the timeline.
6. Click on the share button in the top right corner and choose “File” or “Export File”.
7. Finish the settings. Click “Next”. Note: Do not set quality as “Best (ProRes)”, or the output format is MOV, not MP4.
8. Rename your video and choose a location.
9. Click “Save” to change MP3 file to MP4 on Mac with images.

 

On Windows 10/11:

Windows also has pre-installed video editing software that allows you to convert MP3 to MP4 and add image.

Microsoft Photos used to be able to edit videos, but since Microsoft acquired Clipchamp, its editing function was removed. Windows 10 and Windows 11 users can download Photos Legacy (old video editor) or Clipchamp in the settings of the Photos app.

 

How to convert MP3 to MP4 with picture in Photos Legacy:

1. Click on the search icon on the taskbar. Input photos and open them.
2. Navigate to "Settings", scroll down, and click "Get Photos Legacy". It will then take you to the Microsoft Store to download Photos Legacy. Note: If your Photos program supports video editing, move directly to step 3.
3. Launch Photos Legacy. Switch to the "Video Editor" tab.
4. Create a new video project and name your video.
5. Add an individual (or multiple) image to the project library, then drag it to the storyboard.
6. Right-click the image, choose “Duration”.
7. Based on your MP3 audio duration, calculate how many seconds it takes for the picture to appear. My audio is 2min22sec, so I set it as 142.0 sec.
8. Click "Custom Audio" on the interface.
9. Add your MP3 audio track. Click “Done”.
10. Click “Finish video”. Choose video quality, then export it as MP4.

 

More programs to try:

● Microsoft Clipchamp (Windows 11 or later)

● Windows Movie Maker (Windows 10 or before)

● Shortcut (open source video editor for Mac/PC)

 

Method 3: Add or Attach MP3 Audio to MP4

This method can help you:

• Add MP3 to MP4 without re-encoding
• Replace audio in video
• Raise or reduce the volume level
• Set the start and end points of audio in video

 

Application scenarios:

• Want to add background music, sound effects, ambient sounds, etc. to your video.
• Take a video of yourself playing and singing. To make the audio clearer, a separate track was recorded. Finally, you need to merge video and audio.

 

What program to use:

onlineconverter.com (online converter for all platforms)

 

In fact, both the video editing software mentioned above - iMovie and Photos Legacy can add MP3 to video and export it to MP4. The operation steps are basically the same as adding pictures. Just in Photos Legacy, when your video is longer than the audio:

• You can’t directly set the video duration and need to shorten the video by trimming.
• You can’t add multiple songs or loop the music to make the audio and video time match.

onlineconverter.com is an easy-to-use online MP3 to MP4 converter. It lets you to upload a video in any format, as it will ultimately be exported in MP4 format. The limit is that the uploaded video cannot exceed 200MB.

 

How to add MP3 audio to MP4 using onlineconverter.com:

1. Visit https://www.onlineconverter.com/add-audio-to-video in your browser.
2. Click the first “Choose File” button to add a video file.
3. Click the second “Choose File” button to import an MP3 audio.
4. Choose the option “Replace Audio in Video” or “Keep Audio in Video”.
5. Select “Loop” or “No Loop” the audio. If your video exceeds the length of the audio, opt for the former option.
6. Change the volume level. If you decide to remain the original audio, then you lower the volume of the added MP3, making it a soft background music.
7. Set the start and end time of audio.
8. Click “Convert”. Wait for MP3 to MP4 conversion.
9. Download the MP4 video.

 

More programs to try:

• iMovie
• Photo Legacy
• clideo.com (online video editor free with watermark)

 

Final Words

This article shows 3 methods to convert MP3 to MP4 on Mac and Windows based on different scenarios.

The scenario mentioned in the first method requires a media converter. I also tested QuickTime, Windows Media Player, iTunes, Handbrake, and Audacity on different systems. Unfortunately, none of them can convert MP3 audio to MP4 video successfully.

When encountering scenarios in method 2 and method 3, you will need a video editor software, audio to image converter, or audio to video converter.