- .m4a uploads are now accepted in add/edit, and M4A handling now keeps the original source while adding a generated black-frame H.264 MP4 companion source when ffmpeg can run.

The core conversion helper is in [includes/db.php (line 
1161)](/Users/tyemeclifford/Documents/GH/mediaplayer/includes/db.php:1161). 
The upload flows insert the converted MP4 first for playback and retain 
the original M4A as a separate source in [admin/add.php (line 
129)](/Users/tyemeclifford/Documents/GH/mediaplayer/admin/add.php:129) 
and [admin/edit.php (line 
172)](/Users/tyemeclifford/Documents/GH/mediaplayer/admin/edit.php:172). 
I also updated the admin upload hints, [README.md (line 
77)](/Users/tyemeclifford/Documents/GH/mediaplayer/README.md:77), and 
[changelog.md (line 
14)](/Users/tyemeclifford/Documents/GH/mediaplayer/changelog.md:14).

README.md

@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ Styled to match the existing `gate.php` / `index.php` dark theme exactly.
    - **MP4** (H.264) — widest compatibility
    - **WebM** (VP9) — smaller size, modern browsers
    - **OGV** — Firefox fallback (legacy)
+   - **M4A** — kept as an original source and converted to a black-frame H.264 MP4 companion source when `ffmpeg` is installed
 6. Set quality labels (1080p, 720p, 480p, etc.)
 7. Save — Video.js will use the stored source location and auto-select the best format the browser supports
 
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ External URLs must use `http://` or `https://`. Uploaded files and remote URLs c
 
 When adding an external URL, the admin form can fetch title, description, duration, thumbnail metadata, and readable provider view counts through oEmbed, page metadata, and JSON-LD. The save action repeats the metadata lookup as a fallback, so blank titles can be filled from supported external pages even if the browser autofill was not used.
 
-If no thumbnail image is uploaded, the add/edit forms can auto-grab one from the first supported source. YouTube and Dailymotion use direct thumbnail URLs; Vimeo, Wistia, TikTok, SoundCloud, and Spotify use oEmbed when available. Local uploaded videos can generate a first-frame thumbnail when `ffmpeg` is installed on the server.
+If no thumbnail image is uploaded, the add/edit forms can auto-grab one from the first supported source. YouTube and Dailymotion use direct thumbnail URLs; Vimeo, Wistia, TikTok, SoundCloud, and Spotify use oEmbed when available. Local uploaded videos can generate a first-frame thumbnail when `ffmpeg` is installed on the server. Uploaded M4A files also use `ffmpeg` to create a black-frame H.264 MP4 playback source while keeping the original M4A source.
 
 ### Live Homepage Option
 
@@ -142,6 +143,7 @@ Use the **Sort Order** field — lower numbers appear first. Default is 0. The *
 - Playback rate controls: 0.5×, 1×, 1.25×, 1.5×, 2×
 - Multiple source fallback — browser picks best format automatically
 - Local uploaded sources and remote URL sources
+- M4A uploads can add a generated black-frame H.264 MP4 companion source
 - Provider embeds for popular video and audio platforms
 - Thumbnail posters
 - Per-video view counts and optional public library statistics

admin/add.php

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
 
             $inserted_sources = 0;
             $moved_files = [];
-            $allowed_video = ['mp4','webm','ogv','ogg','mov','mkv','avi'];
+            $allowed_video = ['mp4','webm','ogv','ogg','mov','mkv','avi','m4a'];
 
             for ($i = 0; $i < $source_count; $i++) {
                 $type    = ($source_types[$i] ?? 'local') === 'remote' ? 'remote' : 'local';
@@ -123,13 +123,35 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
 
                 $fname = $slug . '_' . ($i+1) . '_' . time() . '.' . $ext;
                 if (move_uploaded_file($tmp, $videos_dir . $fname)) {
+                    $file_path = 'videos/' . $fname;
                     $moved_files[] = $videos_dir . $fname;
+
+                    if ($ext === 'm4a') {
+                        $converted_path = media_black_video_from_m4a($file_path, $slug, $i);
+                        if ($converted_path !== '') {
+                            $moved_files[] = MEDIA_DIR . $converted_path;
+                            $converted_label = $label !== '' ? $label . ' (MP4)' : 'Converted MP4';
                             $db->prepare("
                                 INSERT INTO video_sources (video_id, label, source_type, file_path, source_url, mime_type, quality, sort_order)
                                 VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)
-                    ")->execute([$video_id, $label, 'local', 'videos/' . $fname, '', mime_from_ext($fname), $quality, $sort]);
+                            ")->execute([$video_id, $converted_label, 'local', $converted_path, '', 'video/mp4', $quality, $sort]);
                             $inserted_sources++;
                         }
+
+                        $original_label = $label !== '' ? $label . ' (M4A)' : 'Original M4A';
+                        $db->prepare("
+                            INSERT INTO video_sources (video_id, label, source_type, file_path, source_url, mime_type, quality, sort_order)
+                            VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)
+                        ")->execute([$video_id, $original_label, 'local', $file_path, '', mime_from_ext($fname), '', $converted_path !== '' ? $sort + 1 : $sort]);
+                        $inserted_sources++;
+                    } else {
+                        $db->prepare("
+                            INSERT INTO video_sources (video_id, label, source_type, file_path, source_url, mime_type, quality, sort_order)
+                            VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)
+                        ")->execute([$video_id, $label, 'local', $file_path, '', mime_from_ext($fname), $quality, $sort]);
+                        $inserted_sources++;
+                    }
+                }
             }
 
             if ($error) {
@@ -309,7 +331,7 @@ render_head('Add Video — Admin', '
           <p class="section-heading">Video Sources</p>
           <p class="hint" style="margin-bottom:1rem;">
             Upload a video file, link a direct media file, or paste a provider page URL such as YouTube or Vimeo. The player will use a provider embed when the URL supports it.
-            Uploaded files: <strong>MP4, WebM, OGV, MOV, MKV, AVI</strong>. Remote URLs must use <strong>http://</strong> or <strong>https://</strong>.
+            Uploaded files: <strong>MP4, WebM, OGV, MOV, MKV, AVI, M4A</strong>. M4A uploads keep the original source and add a black-frame H.264 MP4 source when ffmpeg is available. Remote URLs must use <strong>http://</strong> or <strong>https://</strong>.
           </p>
 
           <div class="sources-section" id="sources-container">
@@ -325,7 +347,7 @@ render_head('Add Video — Admin', '
               <div class="form-group source-location-panel source-location-local">
                 <label class="form-label">Video File</label>
                 <input class="form-input" type="file" name="source_file[]"
-                       accept="video/mp4,video/webm,video/ogg,.mp4,.webm,.ogv,.mov,.mkv,.avi"
+                       accept="video/mp4,video/webm,video/ogg,audio/mp4,.mp4,.webm,.ogv,.mov,.mkv,.avi,.m4a"
                        style="padding:.45rem .6rem;">
               </div>
               <div class="form-group source-location-panel source-location-remote" hidden>

admin/edit.php

@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
                     $new_files    = $_FILES['new_source_file']    ?? [];
                     $videos_dir   = MEDIA_DIR . 'videos/';
                     if (!is_dir($videos_dir)) mkdir($videos_dir, 0755, true);
-                    $allowed_video = ['mp4','webm','ogv','ogg','mov','mkv','avi'];
+                    $allowed_video = ['mp4','webm','ogv','ogg','mov','mkv','avi','m4a'];
 
                     $new_count = max(
                         count($new_types),
@@ -166,13 +166,35 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
                         if (!in_array($ext, $allowed_video, true)) continue;
                         $fname = $slug . '_' . time() . '_' . $i . '.' . $ext;
                         if (move_uploaded_file($tmp, $videos_dir . $fname)) {
+                            $file_path = 'videos/' . $fname;
                             $moved_files[] = $videos_dir . $fname;
+
+                            if ($ext === 'm4a') {
+                                $converted_path = media_black_video_from_m4a($file_path, $slug, $i);
+                                if ($converted_path !== '') {
+                                    $moved_files[] = MEDIA_DIR . $converted_path;
+                                    $converted_label = $label !== '' ? $label . ' (MP4)' : 'Converted MP4';
                                     $db->prepare("
                                         INSERT INTO video_sources (video_id, label, source_type, file_path, source_url, mime_type, quality, sort_order)
                                         VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)
-                            ")->execute([$id, $label, 'local', 'videos/' . $fname, '', mime_from_ext($fname), $quality, $sort]);
+                                    ")->execute([$id, $converted_label, 'local', $converted_path, '', 'video/mp4', $quality, $sort]);
                                     $inserted_source_ids[] = (int)$db->lastInsertId();
                                 }
+
+                                $original_label = $label !== '' ? $label . ' (M4A)' : 'Original M4A';
+                                $db->prepare("
+                                    INSERT INTO video_sources (video_id, label, source_type, file_path, source_url, mime_type, quality, sort_order)
+                                    VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)
+                                ")->execute([$id, $original_label, 'local', $file_path, '', mime_from_ext($fname), '', $converted_path !== '' ? $sort + 1 : $sort]);
+                                $inserted_source_ids[] = (int)$db->lastInsertId();
+                            } else {
+                                $db->prepare("
+                                    INSERT INTO video_sources (video_id, label, source_type, file_path, source_url, mime_type, quality, sort_order)
+                                    VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)
+                                ")->execute([$id, $label, 'local', $file_path, '', mime_from_ext($fname), $quality, $sort]);
+                                $inserted_source_ids[] = (int)$db->lastInsertId();
+                            }
+                        }
                     }
 
                     if ($error) {
@@ -425,7 +447,7 @@ render_head('Edit Video — Admin', '
         <!-- ── Add new sources ── -->
         <div class="card" style="margin-bottom:1rem;">
           <p class="section-heading">Add New Sources</p>
-          <p class="hint" style="margin-bottom:.85rem;">Upload another file, link a direct media file, or paste a provider page URL such as YouTube or Vimeo.</p>
+          <p class="hint" style="margin-bottom:.85rem;">Upload another file, link a direct media file, or paste a provider page URL such as YouTube or Vimeo. M4A uploads keep the original source and add a black-frame H.264 MP4 source when ffmpeg is available.</p>
           <div class="source-list" id="new-sources-container">
             <div class="add-source-row" data-new-row="0">
               <div class="form-group">
@@ -438,7 +460,7 @@ render_head('Edit Video — Admin', '
               <div class="form-group source-location-panel source-location-local">
                 <label class="form-label">Video File</label>
                 <input class="form-input" type="file" name="new_source_file[]"
-                       accept="video/mp4,video/webm,video/ogg,.mp4,.webm,.ogv,.mov,.mkv,.avi"
+                       accept="video/mp4,video/webm,video/ogg,audio/mp4,.mp4,.webm,.ogv,.mov,.mkv,.avi,.m4a"
                        style="padding:.45rem .6rem;">
               </div>
               <div class="form-group source-location-panel source-location-remote" hidden>

changelog.md

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ All notable changes to this media player project.
 - Added an admin upload flow that supports either direct uploads or external provider/page URLs.
 - Added metadata fetching for external URLs to populate title, description, duration, thumbnails, publish dates, and readable provider view counts where available.
 - Added automatic thumbnail grabbing for external URLs, plus first-frame thumbnail generation for local videos when `ffmpeg` is available.
+- Added M4A upload support that keeps the original M4A source and adds a generated black-frame H.264 MP4 source when `ffmpeg` is available.
 - Added a YouTube channel importer that scrapes channel videos, previews imports, skips duplicates, and stores imported videos as embedded YouTube sources.
 - Added YouTube timestamp correction so imported and existing YouTube videos can use their original publish dates.
 - Added an **Upkeeping** section to the admin dashboard for batch maintenance actions.

includes/db.php

@@ -1158,6 +1158,40 @@ function media_ffmpeg_path(): string {
     return $path !== '' && is_executable($path) ? $path : '';
 }
 
+function media_black_video_from_m4a(string $file_path, string $slug, int $index = 0): string {
+    $ffmpeg = media_ffmpeg_path();
+    if ($ffmpeg === '') return '';
+
+    $source = MEDIA_DIR . ltrim($file_path, '/');
+    if ($file_path === '' || !is_file($source) || !is_readable($source)) return '';
+    if (strtolower(pathinfo($source, PATHINFO_EXTENSION)) !== 'm4a') return '';
+
+    $videos_dir = MEDIA_DIR . 'videos/';
+    if (!is_dir($videos_dir)) mkdir($videos_dir, 0755, true);
+    if (!function_exists('exec') || media_disabled_function('exec')) return '';
+
+    $label = media_clean_token($slug);
+    if ($label === '') $label = 'video';
+    $fname = $label . '_m4a_black_' . $index . '_' . time() . '_' . substr(sha1($file_path), 0, 8) . '.mp4';
+    $target = $videos_dir . $fname;
+
+    $cmd = escapeshellarg($ffmpeg)
+        . ' -y -f lavfi -i ' . escapeshellarg('color=c=black:s=1280x720:r=30')
+        . ' -i ' . escapeshellarg($source)
+        . ' -shortest -map 0:v:0 -map 1:a:0'
+        . ' -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -tune stillimage -pix_fmt yuv420p'
+        . ' -c:a aac -b:a 192k -movflags +faststart '
+        . escapeshellarg($target) . ' 2>/dev/null';
+    @exec($cmd, $output, $code);
+
+    if ($code === 0 && is_file($target) && filesize($target) > 0) {
+        return 'videos/' . $fname;
+    }
+
+    if (is_file($target)) unlink($target);
+    return '';
+}
+
 function media_thumbnail_from_local_video(string $file_path, string $slug): string {
     $ffmpeg = media_ffmpeg_path();
     if ($ffmpeg === '') return '';