In the early days of the iTunes Store, music files were restricted by Digital Rights Management (DRM) to prevent copying. These files used the .m4p extension and were compressed at a bitrate of 128 kbps.
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While Apple doesn't call it "iTunes Plus" anymore, the backend is the same. When you purchase a song from the Apple Store (not streaming), you get a 256 kbps AAC M4A file, DRM-free.
| Source | Notes | |--------|-------| | (iTunes Store) | Direct purchase: 256 kbps iTunes Plus. Most reliable. | | Bandcamp | Some artists offer AAC downloads (choose format). | | 7digital | Sells 256 kbps AAC (often identical to iTunes Plus). | | Qobuz | Primarily FLAC, but offers AAC downloads for some tracks. | | HDtracks | Mostly lossless, but check format options. |
If you want to buy and own M4A files legally, these are the verified sources. Warning: Torrent sites and "YouTube to M4A" converters often produce fake or corrupted files; stick to these retailers.