Convert WMA to OGA — Free Online Tool
Convert WMA (Windows Media Audio) files to OGA format, re-encoding the proprietary wmav2 audio stream into an open Vorbis codec inside an Ogg container. This is ideal for replacing Microsoft's closed audio format with a fully open, patent-free alternative that works natively in Firefox and open-source media players.
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FFmpeg Command
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Note: Browser-based encoding uses approximate quality targets. For precise CRF compression, copy the FFmpeg command above and run it on your desktop.
Estimated output:
Conversion Complete!
DownloadHow It Works
WMA files store audio in Microsoft's proprietary wmav2 (or older wmav1) codec, which FFmpeg decodes fully in software. Because OGA does not support WMA codecs, the audio must be fully re-encoded — it cannot simply be remuxed. The decoded PCM audio is fed into the libvorbis encoder, which applies Vorbis' perceptual compression at the specified quality level and writes the result into an Ogg container with the .oga extension. This is a lossy-to-lossy transcode, meaning the audio passes through two generations of compression. Basic metadata tags (artist, album, title) present in the WMA file are generally carried over by FFmpeg into Vorbis comment tags, though WMA-specific DRM protection will cause the conversion to fail entirely since encrypted content cannot be decoded.
What Each Flag Does
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
ffmpeg
|
Invokes the FFmpeg binary, the open-source multimedia processing engine that handles decoding the proprietary WMA/wmav2 stream and encoding to Vorbis inside the Ogg container. |
-i input.wma
|
Specifies the input WMA file. FFmpeg detects the ASF container and wmav2 (or wmav1) audio codec automatically and prepares the stream for decoding. |
-c:a libvorbis
|
Selects the libvorbis encoder for the audio stream, producing Ogg Vorbis audio — the open, patent-free codec that is the default and most compatible choice for OGA files. |
-q:a 4
|
Sets the Vorbis variable-bitrate quality level to 4, which targets approximately 128–160 kbps and represents a good balance between file size and audio fidelity when transcoding from a typical 128k WMA source. |
output.oga
|
Defines the output filename with the .oga extension, which signals an audio-only Ogg container. FFmpeg uses this extension to automatically select the Ogg muxer rather than the general .ogg muxer. |
Common Use Cases
- Replacing a music library of WMA files purchased from older Microsoft or Windows Media Player stores with open-format OGA files compatible with Linux media players like Rhythmbox or Banshee
- Preparing audio assets for a web project where Firefox's native Ogg/Vorbis support is needed and serving proprietary WMA files is not acceptable
- Removing Microsoft DRM-free WMA files from a Windows ecosystem to use in cross-platform open-source video editors like Kdenlive or Shotcut that handle Ogg Vorbis natively
- Converting WMA podcast recordings or voice memos into OGA for archival in an open format that does not depend on Microsoft codec support remaining available
- Stripping WMA audio from a Windows-centric workflow for use in a game engine or application that only supports open audio formats like Ogg Vorbis
- Batch-converting a collection of WMA music tracks to OGA to host on an open-source self-hosted music server such as Navidrome or Funkwhale
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, some quality degradation is unavoidable. WMA uses Microsoft's wmav2 lossy codec, and OGA with libvorbis applies a second round of lossy compression. The default quality setting of -q:a 4 (roughly 128–160 kbps variable bitrate) is transparent for most listeners at typical WMA source bitrates of 128k or higher, but if your source WMA files are already encoded at low bitrates like 64k or 96k, the double compression will be more noticeable. There is no way to do a lossless WMA-to-OGA conversion unless you re-encode to FLAC inside OGA, but that still requires fully decoding the lossy WMA first.
No. WMA files protected by Microsoft's DRM (Digital Rights Management) cannot be decoded by FFmpeg, and the conversion will fail with an error. DRM-protected WMA files have their audio stream encrypted and require Microsoft's licensing infrastructure to unlock. Only DRM-free WMA files can be converted. If you purchased WMA files from older stores and they are DRM-protected, you would need to remove the DRM through licensed means before converting.
Generally yes. FFmpeg reads WMA's ASF metadata tags and maps them to Vorbis comment tags in the OGA output. Standard fields like title, artist, album, and track number transfer reliably. However, WMA-specific metadata like DRM license information, Windows Media Player playlist data, or embedded album art may not carry over cleanly, as Vorbis comments have a different tagging structure than WMA's ASF header.
Adjust the -q:a value, which controls libvorbis quality on a scale from 0 (lowest, ~64 kbps) to 10 (highest, ~500 kbps). The default of 4 targets roughly 128–160 kbps variable bitrate. To increase quality, use -q:a 6 or -q:a 8; for smaller file sizes at reduced quality, try -q:a 2 or -q:a 3. For example: ffmpeg -i input.wma -c:a libvorbis -q:a 6 output.oga. Avoid going above the effective quality of your source WMA file, as encoding at -q:a 10 from a low-bitrate WMA source will inflate file size without recovering lost audio detail.
Yes. OGA supports multiple codecs including FLAC (lossless) and Opus. To use FLAC, replace -c:a libvorbis -q:a 4 with -c:a flac, giving you: ffmpeg -i input.wma -c:a flac output.oga. For Opus, use -c:a libopus -b:a 128k. Note that using FLAC gives lossless output but the source WMA was already lossy, so you are preserving the decoded PCM exactly rather than recovering the original uncompressed audio. Opus at 128k typically sounds better than Vorbis at equivalent bitrate and is a strong choice for modern playback.
On Linux or macOS, use a shell loop: for f in *.wma; do ffmpeg -i "$f" -c:a libvorbis -q:a 4 "${f%.wma}.oga"; done. On Windows Command Prompt, use: for %f in (*.wma) do ffmpeg -i "%f" -c:a libvorbis -q:a 4 "%~nf.oga". This iterates over all WMA files in the current directory and produces a matching OGA file for each. The browser-based tool processes one file at a time, so the FFmpeg command is particularly useful for batch converting large collections or files over 1GB.
Technical Notes
WMA uses Microsoft's Advanced Systems Format (ASF) container, which supports features like DRM and streaming but is proprietary and not widely supported outside Windows ecosystems. The default wmav2 codec is a transform-based lossy codec similar in architecture to AAC but less efficient by modern standards. OGA is the audio-specific file extension for the open Ogg container, standardized by Xiph.Org, and pairs most naturally with the libvorbis encoder. Vorbis is a mature variable-bitrate codec that performs well between -q:a 3 and -q:a 6, covering the quality range that most WMA source files occupy. One important limitation is that OGA does not support multiple audio tracks, matching WMA's single-track constraint, so there is no data loss on that front. Both formats support streaming and metadata tags, though the tag schemas differ (ASF headers vs. Vorbis comments). WMA's DRM support has no equivalent in OGA, which is intentionally DRM-free by design. File sizes after conversion at -q:a 4 are typically comparable to the source WMA at 128k, though Vorbis' variable bitrate means output size varies with audio complexity.