XM to TAR.BZ2 Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
XM is the FastTracker II module format — the tracker scene's workhorse, with instruments, envelopes and effects baked into the file. Produce a TAR.BZ2 when a mirror, build script or legacy toolchain expects the classic .tar.bz2 release artifact.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How to convert XM to TAR.BZ2
- 1
Select your files
Select your XM file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TAR.BZ2 container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TAR.BZ2 archive.
About the XM format
XM (Extended Module) is FastTracker II's evolution of MOD: 16-bit samples, volume/panning envelopes, arpeggio and effect columns — the tracker format that scored the demoscene of the late 90s and still powers chip music communities.
Rendering XM to MP3/WAV through libopenmpt's engine reproduces the song with its instruments and effects intact — the same interpretation FT2 users heard, normalized into a universally playable waveform.
+Strengths
- ✓16-bit samples and rich effects
- ✓Standard of the late-90s demo scene
- ✓Accurate libopenmpt rendering
!Limitations
- −Not a waveform — interpretation required
- −Filter quirks vary between players
- −Compression is minimal
About the TAR.BZ2 format
TAR.BZ2 pairs the tar container with bzip2 compression — the classic release artifact of the 2000s Unix world. Bzip2's block-sorting algorithm compresses text and source trees noticeably tighter than gzip, which is why distribution mirrors and source releases favoured it for years.
Today it has largely ceded the top spot to TAR.XZ (smaller) and tar.gz (faster), but countless build scripts, mirrors and legacy toolchains still expect the exact .tar.bz2 artifact — and producing it is a matter of running the tar through a bzip2 encoder.
+Strengths
- ✓Tighter than gzip on text and source trees
- ✓Classic, universally supported on Unix-like systems
- ✓Deterministic, well-understood artifact for releases
!Limitations
- −Slow compression compared to gzip/zstd
- −Larger than TAR.XZ for the same content
- −Single stream — no random file access
Why convert XM to TAR.BZ2?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of TAR.BZ2 meet what XM cannot give you. Tighter than gzip on text and source trees Meanwhile Not a waveform — interpretation required One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this XM to TAR.BZ2 converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Is there a file size limit for XM to TAR.BZ2?
The only limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded. Files up to a few hundred megabytes work fine on a modern desktop browser; very large files simply take a little longer.
Can I convert a whole folder of XM files?
You can select many files at once and they are processed in a single batch. Output files land in one ZIP download when there is more than one result.
Will converting XM to TAR.BZ2 reduce audio quality?
If TAR.BZ2 is lossless, the output contains everything the XM file contains — no further loss is added. If TAR.BZ2 is lossy, one recompression pass is unavoidable; the quality slider controls how much. Loss that already happened in the source file can never be undone by converting.