Skip to content

M2A (.m2a)

.m2a file signature | audio/mpeg

M2A is an audio file format associated with MPEG-2 audio, standardized by the Moving Picture Experts Group and maintained through ISO/IEC specifications. It is used for storing compressed audio in broadcasting, digital media workflows, and multimedia playback applications. The format is generally safe, though like other media files it may be handled by decoders with parsing vulnerabilities; legacy files should be opened with updated software.

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0
FF F2

Sources: Apache Tika

All Known Signatures

12 signature variants are documented for .m2a files across multiple sources.

Hex Signature Offset Sources
FF F2 0 Apache Tika
FF F3 0 Apache Tika
FF F4 0 Apache Tika
FF F5 0 Apache Tika
FF F6 0 Apache Tika
FF F7 0 Apache Tika
FF FA 0 Apache Tika
FF FB 0 Apache Tika
FF FC 0 Apache Tika
FF FD 0 Apache Tika
FF E3 0 Apache Tika
49 44 33 0 Apache Tika

Extension

.m2a

MIME Type

audio/mpeg

Byte Offset

0

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .m2a files in Python

Python 
def is_m2a(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid M2A by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0xFF, 0xF2])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(2) == signature

How to validate .m2a files in Node.js

Node.js 
function isM2A(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0xFF, 0xF2]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 2).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .m2a files in Go

Go 
func IsM2A(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0xFF, 0xF2}
    if len(data) < 2 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:2], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/m2a
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/m2a

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Related Formats

.m3a .mp2 .mp2a .mpga .mp3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .m2a file?

A .m2a file is identified by the magic bytes FF F2 at byte offset 0. M2A is an audio file format associated with MPEG-2 audio, standardized by the Moving Picture Experts Group and maintained through ISO/IEC specifications. It is used for storing compressed audio in broadcasting, digital media workflows, and multimedia playback applications. The format is generally safe, though like other media files it may be handled by decoders with parsing vulnerabilities; legacy files should be opened with updated software.

What are the magic bytes for .m2a files?

The magic bytes for M2A files are FF F2 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .m2a file?

To validate a .m2a file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (FF F2) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .m2a files?

The primary MIME type for .m2a files is audio/mpeg.

Is it safe to open .m2a files?

M2A (.m2a) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.