Launching November 2026

Convert M4A to MP3

iPhones, Macs and lots of recorders save audio as M4A. Some players, car stereos and upload forms still insist on MP3. Pick an M4A and get an MP3 that plays almost anywhere, converted on your own device.

Convert a fileSee pricing

Change an M4A into an MP3

M4A to MP3, in your browser

Drop a file here or choose one. It stays on this device. Up to 500 MB and 2 hours of sound.

Your browser does the conversion. Open your browser’s network tab while converting to check that the file is not uploaded.

The MP3 encoder is lamejs, open source under the LGPL. See open-source licenses.

Your recording never leaves your device: the browser decodes the M4A and builds the MP3 on your machine. No account is needed, and nothing is sent to Textspert.

What an M4A file is

An M4A is an MP4 container with only sound inside, and that sound is almost always AAC. AAC packs audio a little tighter than MP3 at the same size. Apple uses it for Voice Memos and GarageBand exports, and so do plenty of Android recorder apps.

A few M4A files hold Apple Lossless (ALAC) audio instead. Browsers can’t decode ALAC, so those files get an error. Voice Memos exports and most phone recordings are AAC and convert without trouble.

Getting a voice memo off an iPhone

  1. Open Voice Memos

    Tap the recording, then the three-dot menu.

  2. Share or save it

    Choose Save to Files, or AirDrop it to your Mac. Menus shift a little between iOS versions.

  3. Convert it here

    Open this page on the computer or phone that has the file, and pick it.

The MP3 you download

You get a 128 kbps, 44.1 kHz MP3. Going from one lossy format to another always costs a sliver of quality, but on speech you’ll struggle to hear it. A memo recorded at a low bitrate can come out bigger than the M4A was, since the MP3 always uses 128 kbps.

The cap is 500 MB, far beyond any voice memo. Keep the tab open until the Download button shows up.

M4A files from Android and other recorders

Android recorder apps, dictaphones and messaging apps often save M4A too, and they convert the same way. Call recorders sometimes use AMR or 3GP. 3GP decodes in Chrome and Edge; AMR usually doesn’t.

If you can’t tell what a file really is, drop it in anyway. The page ignores the file name, checks what the browser can decode, and says plainly when it can’t read the sound.

  • Sending a recording to someone on an older Windows PC: MP3 opens in every player there.
  • Uploading to a form that lists MP3 only, such as some podcast hosts or school portals.
  • Playing memos in a car over USB, where many stereos skip M4A.

Turning a memo into text instead

If you’re converting so a transcription site will take the memo, skip the step. Textspert reads M4A directly. Upload the memo and you get text you can search and edit. Voice memo to text walks through it, and MP3 to text covers other audio files.

WhatsApp voice notes come in a different format, OPUS, and we transcribe those too. See WhatsApp audio to text.

Want the memo as text?

Launching November 2026

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M4A to MP3 questions

Is M4A better than MP3?

At the same size, AAC in an M4A usually sounds a bit better. MP3 wins on compatibility: old players, some car stereos and many web forms only take MP3.

Will this convert music I bought?

Purchases without copy protection convert like any other M4A. Protected files from old iTunes purchases or streaming apps won’t decode.

Is my voice memo uploaded?

No. The memo stays on your device for the whole conversion. Only the web page itself comes from our site.

Why does my M4A show an error?

It’s probably Apple Lossless. Re-export it as AAC from Music or GarageBand, or upload it to Textspert for a transcript, since uploads accept ALAC.

Can I get a transcript of the memo?

Yes. Create a free account and upload the M4A. Free covers 3 files a day, each up to 60 minutes, with speaker labels.

More for audio files

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