Convert voice memos from m4a to MP3 or WAV on iPhone

iPhone saves voice memos as .m4a files. You can’t use the Voice Memos app to record audio as MP3, WAV or other formats. If you need a voice recording on iPhone to be encoded in a different codec, you can convert the voice recording to a different file format using iTunes. If you don’t have iTunes on your computer or you don’t have access to a computer, you can use an audio editor app to convert iPhone voice memos to MP3 or other formats. Here we’d like to share with iPhone users two free apps with the audio conversion support.

Contents
Method 1. Convert voice memos from m4a to MP3

Step 1. Export recordings from Voice Memos
Step 2. Convert M4A to MP3, WAV

Convert voice memos to MP3 - YouTube demo
iPhone voice memos conversion troubleshooting

Method 2. Convert voice memos from m4a to WAV on iPhone

Method 1. Convert voice memos from m4a to MP3 on iPhone

In a related article, we used a voice recorder to record sounds in MP3, WAV format on iPhone. This free sound recorder can also help us convert iPhone voice memos from M4A to MP3 or WAV format. Here is how to do that.

Step 1. Export recordings from Voice Memos to the Recorder

Open Voice Memos app on iPhone, tap Edit from the top right corner, tap to select the voice recordings from the list, then tap Share in the bottom left. From the action menu at the lower section, swipe left on the apps selection bar, choose More > AVR. 

Now the Awesome Voice Recorder apps with the confirmation saying the voice memos were imported successfully. You can find them in the Imported folder within the AVR app.

Step 2. Convert M4A to MP3, WAV on iPhone

Open the AVR app on iPhone. There will be an Imported folder where you can find the voice recordings imported from other apps. Tap to select the audio recording, you will see the play control bar at the screen bottom. Touch the Edit icon at the right corner to open the Edit screen.

Tap the Edit icon again to pop up the File Format menu. You can find WAV, M4A, M4R and MP3 from the menu list. Select MP3 or WAV to convert the voice memo from M4A to MP3 or WAV. If like, you can also convert the voice memo to iPhone ringtone in M4R format. 

The converted audio file will also be saved to the Imported folder in the AVR app on iPhone. You can then share the audio files via Wi-Fi, Email, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Google Drive, SoundCloud, AirDrop, or Open In.

Convert iPhone voice memos to MP3 – YouTube video demo

Note: We are using Awesome voice recorder free version, V8.1.2, the latest release as of Oct 2022, in the video tutorial above; if the video can’t be played properly above, here is the link to watch it on YouTube.

iPhone voice memos conversion troubleshooting

If you can’t find the option to convert voice memos, make sure to download the right app above, and then verify the app and version from its settings as shown below. We are using Awesome voice recorder free version, V8.1.2, the latest release as of Oct 2022, in the YouTube video tutorial above.

If you still have trouble converting iPhone voice memos to other audio formats, use the alternative app, Hokusai audio editor, to convert them to wav format, as explained below.

Method 2. Convert voice memos from m4a to WAV on iPhone

Hokusai is a multitrack audio editor for iPhone, iPad. We have introduced this app in several articles before. For example, you can use it to combine multiple voice memos on iPhone. Download the free version of the audio editor app below.

Again open the Voice Memos app on iPhone, then follow the similar steps to import and open the voice memo or audio recording in Hokusai app.

Once the voice memo is opened in the audio editor, tap the Settings icon in the top right corner, choose Settings from the menu and make sure the Sharing Format is set to Uncompressed Wave (.wav). Return to the Settings menu, choose Share Audio. Follow on-screen tips to save the voice memo to Files app or any other apps you like. The voice memo will be exported and save in WAV format. It is just that simple to turn voice memos from m4a to wav using this free app on iPhone.

Update Oct 2022: added the steps to import voice memos and recordings to the AVR app; added the YouTube video demo; add Hokusai to convert iPhone voice memos from M4A to WAV.