How do MP3 and MP4compare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
MPEG Audio Layer III
MP3 is the most popular audio format in the world. It revolutionized digital music by compressing audio files to a fraction of their original size while maintaining good quality. Nearly every device and application supports MP3.
MPEG-4 Part 14
MP4 is the most widely used video format in the world. It's the default for everything from YouTube to TikTok, smartphones to streaming services. If you need one video format that works everywhere, MP4 is it.
| Specification | MP3 | MP4 |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG Audio Layer III | MPEG-4 Part 14 |
| Extension | .mp3 | .mp4 |
| MIME type | audio/mpeg | video/mp4 |
| Category | Audio | Video |
| Developer | Fraunhofer Society / Moving Picture Experts Group | ISO / Moving Picture Experts Group |
| Year introduced | 1993 | 2001 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
MP3 (audio) and MP4 (video) serve fundamentally different purposes but are often compared when converting between media types.