M4A to MP3 converts iPhone voice memos, iTunes songs and other M4A / AAC files to MP3, which every car stereo, player and program can play. It runs in your browser, on any phone or computer, and the file is never uploaded.
Where M4A files come from
| Source | Typical content | Suggested MP3 quality |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone Voice Memos | Speech, lectures, ideas | 128 kbit/s |
| iTunes Store purchases | Music | 192 or 320 kbit/s |
| Recorder apps on Android and iPhone | Speech, meetings | 128 kbit/s |
| Sound saved from a video or podcast app | Mixed | 192 kbit/s |
How to convert a voice memo on iPhone
- In Voice Memos, tap the memo, tap the three dots (or the share icon) and choose Save to Files.
- Open this page in Safari and tap Choose an audio file. Pick the memo in Files.
- Tap Convert, then Download. The MP3 goes to the Downloads folder in Files, from where you can share it.
On a Mac, drag a memo out of the Voice Memos app to the desktop, then drop that file here.
Why convert M4A to MP3?
M4A with AAC is an efficient format, but not everything reads it: some car stereos, older MP3 players, website upload forms, Windows programs and phone systems only accept MP3. MP3 is the one format that works everywhere.
Things to know
- Size: AAC is more efficient than MP3, so for music you may want a slightly higher MP3 bitrate to keep the same quality. A one-minute voice memo becomes about 1 MB at 128 kbit/s.
- No quality gain: converting re-encodes the audio. It cannot sound better than the M4A, so there is no point in going above 192 kbit/s for a memo.
- Copy protection: Apple Music subscription downloads cannot be converted. Your own recordings and iTunes purchases work.
- Song tags such as title, artist and cover are not copied to the MP3.
- Lossless M4A (Apple Lossless) may not open in every browser. If you see an error, try another browser, such as Safari or Chrome on a computer.
If you only need a transcript of a memo, Audio to Text turns the M4A into text directly.