SoundCloud Enhanced Pro 3.2.1: M4A and MP3 Downloads

SoundCloud Enhanced Pro 3.2.1 is now available on the Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons. It's a small release about a common question: why is my download an .m4a file, and how do I get an MP3?

Here's what changed:

• M4A is still the default, and it's in the free plan. Nothing changes unless you pick MP3.
• For Lifetime users, MP3 is now a quality option on the download panel, next to the regular M4A qualities, instead of a separate switch in Settings.
• Lifetime users can select M4A and MP3 together and get both files from a single download.
• A bug fix: an error could appear on SoundCloud tabs after the extension was updated, reloaded or disabled. That's fixed.

Why your SoundCloud downloads are .m4a files

SoundCloud now streams its audio as AAC, usually at 96 or 160 kbps. The older MP3 streams have been retired, so the file SoundCloud Enhanced Pro saves is the AAC audio SoundCloud serves, in an .m4a file.

That's not a lower-quality file. AAC is a modern format, and .m4a plays on every current phone, computer and browser. Renaming an .m4a file to .mp3 doesn't convert it. The audio inside stays AAC.

So for most people, M4A is the right choice. MP3 is there for the cases where it isn't: an older car stereo, a hardware player, or an app that only accepts MP3.

How MP3 works in 3.2.1

The default path saves the AAC stream as .m4a. The optional Lifetime path re-encodes it to MP3 on your computer.

MP3 is part of the Lifetime upgrade (€24.99, one-time). When you pick MP3, SoundCloud Enhanced Pro downloads the AAC audio and re-encodes it to MP3 on your own computer. A few things are worth knowing:

• Quality: re-encoding always loses a little, so an MP3 is slightly lower quality than the AAC original. You can choose 192, 256 or 320 kbps. Higher bitrates lose less, at the cost of file size.
• File size: at 320 kbps, an MP3 is roughly twice the size of the .m4a.
• Tags and cover art: title, artist, genre and embedded artwork are carried over to the MP3, the same as for .m4a, when SoundCloud provides them.
• Long tracks: tracks longer than 20 minutes are saved as .m4a instead, because converting them needs more memory than a browser tab can safely use. The same happens if your browser can't decode the AAC audio. The extension tells you when a track was kept as .m4a.
• Both at once: with Lifetime, select M4A and MP3 together if you want the original for your library and an MP3 for a device that needs it.

Free downloads are saved as .m4a. See the pricing page for everything each plan includes.

A new Chrome permission: offscreen

On Chrome, 3.2.1 adds one permission, offscreen. Chrome extensions run their background work without a page, and decoding audio needs one. The offscreen permission lets the extension open a hidden extension page to do the AAC-to-MP3 conversion.

Chrome doesn't show a warning for this permission, according to Chrome's permissions list, so the update installs without asking you to approve anything new. The extension's site access is unchanged: it still works on SoundCloud and connects to UnifyBrowse's servers, as before. Firefox doesn't need this permission for the conversion, so the Firefox permissions are unchanged too.

When an artist hasn't enabled downloads

Artists decide whether their tracks can be downloaded on SoundCloud. If a track's artist hasn't enabled downloads, the "Downloads not enabled" warning offers two choices: Cancel, and nothing is downloaded, or Download anyway. If you continue, you accept responsibility for that download. If you tick Don't show this again and continue, the warning is turned off for good in that browser; it only comes back if you reinstall the extension. SoundCloud's Terms of Use allow downloads where the uploader has enabled them. You're responsible for respecting the uploader's settings and copyright.

Free and Lifetime

The free plan covers the core features: single tracks and playlist batches saved as .m4a, tags and cover art, track details, the popup player and your download history. The optional Lifetime upgrade is a one-time €24.99 payment, with no subscription. It adds larger batches, more audio options, file naming templates, artist folders and history export. In 3.2.1, those audio options include MP3 downloads and saving an M4A and an MP3 of the same track in one go. If you want your downloads named and sorted automatically, our post on saving tracks your way shows how templates and artist folders work.

How to get 3.2.1

Extensions update automatically, so you probably have it already. To check:

• Chrome: open chrome://extensions and look for version 3.2.1 under SoundCloud Enhanced Pro.
• Firefox: open about:addons, select SoundCloud Enhanced Pro and check the version.

New to the extension? Install it from the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons, or read more on the SoundCloud Enhanced Pro page.

Frequently asked questions

Why does SoundCloud Enhanced Pro save .m4a instead of .mp3? Because SoundCloud now streams AAC audio, and .m4a is the file that holds it. Saving it as .m4a keeps the original audio without re-encoding.

Is MP3 available on the free plan? No. In 3.2.1, MP3 is part of the Lifetime upgrade (€24.99, one-time). The free plan saves M4A, the default format.

Is MP3 better quality than M4A? No. In 3.2.1, an MP3 is made by re-encoding the AAC original, so it's slightly lower quality and larger. Choose MP3 only if a device or app of yours can't play .m4a.

Can I get both an M4A and an MP3 of the same track? Yes, with Lifetime. Select both on the download panel, and you get both files from one download.

Does 3.2.1 ask for new permissions? On Chrome, it adds offscreen, which Chrome doesn't show a warning for. On Firefox, the permissions are unchanged.

Is SoundCloud Enhanced Pro made by SoundCloud? No. SoundCloud Enhanced Pro is an independent extension by UnifyBrowse and is not affiliated with or endorsed by SoundCloud.