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Use the built-in Music app to make a WAV copy on a Mac: set WAV as the import format, then convert a song already in your library or import and convert a file from a folder or disk. The original stays available. Converting an MP3 or AAC file to WAV does not restore audio data lost to compression.
Convert a song that is already in your Music library
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Open Music and choose Music > Settings.
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Select Files, then click Import Settings.
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In Import Using, choose WAV and save the setting.
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Select the song or songs in your library. Choose File > Convert > Create WAV Version.
Music adds the WAV version to the library alongside the original. Apple documents this workflow in its Music for Mac conversion guide.
Convert a file from a folder or disk
For audio that is not yet in the Music library, set WAV as the import format first, then use Music’s import-and-convert workflow:
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In Music, open Music > Settings > Files > Import Settings and set Import Using to WAV.
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Hold the Option key while choosing File > Convert > Convert to [import preference].
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Select the folder or disk containing the audio.
Music imports the converted song into its library beside the original; this is not an in-place overwrite of the source file. Apple describes the steps in its Apple Music conversion instructions.
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What WAV conversion changes—and what it cannot
WAV is uncompressed, while MP3 and AAC are compressed. A WAV made from a compressed file uses more disk space but does not gain back audio quality that was discarded when the source was compressed. Apple puts it plainly: “If you compress a song and it loses data, you can’t uncompress it to retrieve the data.”
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If you need the best available quality, start with the original recording or another high-quality source and import or encode that source as WAV. For long recordings or batches, check available storage: uncompressed copies take more space, but there is no single file-size multiplier that applies to every recording.
When Music may not convert a track
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Older iTunes Store purchases encoded as Protected AAC cannot be converted. Apple says purchased tracks can be converted only if they are iTunes Plus songs.
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Only reproduce material that you own, that is not copyrighted, or that you are otherwise authorized or legally permitted to copy. Apple states this limitation in its conversion guidance.
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Why QuickTime Player is not the WAV option
QuickTime Player can export a movie as audio only, but its documented Audio Only export produces an MPEG-4 audio file with an AAC audio track—not WAV. For a song in Music, use the Music conversion workflow instead. See Apple’s QuickTime Player export guide.
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GarageBand also has an export-songs-to-disk feature, but its documented guide does not establish the exact WAV formats or export settings. Do not assume a particular bit depth, sample rate, or menu path from that feature alone; see the GarageBand User Guide.
Find and check the converted copy
After conversion, look for the new entry in Music’s library, where it appears beside the original. If you need the file itself, use the file-location or Show in Finder option available in your version of the app, then verify the resulting file before moving or deleting anything.
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