How to Convert an iPhone Voice Memo to MP3

iPhone Voice Memos saves recordings as M4A files, and iOS has no built-in way to export them as MP3. You can convert one in about a minute using Safari, with no app to install and without uploading the recording anywhere.

Why voice memos aren't MP3

Voice Memos records in AAC audio inside an .m4a file (or Apple Lossless if you turned on Lossless in Settings > Apps > Voice Memos). M4A is compact and plays on Apple devices, but plenty of places only take MP3: some upload forms and job portals, older Windows software, car stereos, and transcription or podcast services.

Converting doesn't need to reduce quality noticeably. Voice memos are speech, so a 128 kbps MP3 sounds the same as the original.

Step 1: Save the memo to Files

Open Voice Memos and tap the recording. Tap the More button (three dots), then Share, then Save to Files. Choose a folder such as On My iPhone or iCloud Drive and tap Save.

If you want to send only part of the memo, you can trim it first in Voice Memos with Edit Recording, or trim the MP3 afterwards with an audio cutter.

Step 2: Convert it to MP3 in Safari

Open the ClipUtils M4A to MP3 converter in Safari. Tap Choose file, pick Browse, and select the memo you saved. MP3 is preselected; choose Standard (128 kbps) for speech to keep the file small, or leave High (192 kbps) for music.

Tap Convert to MP3. The conversion runs inside Safari on your iPhone, so the recording is never uploaded. When it finishes, play it in the page to check it, then tap Download and save the MP3 to Files.

On a Mac

Open the Voice Memos app on your Mac (memos sync over iCloud if it's turned on), then drag a recording from the list onto the desktop to get the .m4a file. Open the M4A to MP3 converter in any browser, choose the file and convert. The MP3 is saved to your Downloads folder.

Which quality should you choose?

For speech, 128 kbps MP3 is indistinguishable from the original and takes about 1 MB per minute. Choose 64 kbps (Small) if you need the smallest possible file, for example to fit an email limit. Higher bitrates only help for music recorded with a good microphone.

Keep the original memo. Converting between compressed formats is a re-encode, so repeated conversions slowly lower the quality.

Alternatives

If the app you're sending to accepts M4A, you don't need to convert at all; just share the memo directly. If you need the words rather than the audio, a transcription tool can turn the memo into text. ClipUtils' Transcribe Audio to Text does that in the browser, also without uploading.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert a voice memo to MP3 without an app?

Yes. Save the memo to Files, then use a browser-based converter in Safari. ClipUtils converts it on the phone itself, so nothing is uploaded and nothing is installed.

Does converting a voice memo to MP3 lower the quality?

Technically it's a re-encode, but at 128 kbps or higher speech sounds identical. Keep the original M4A in case you need it again.

What format are iPhone voice memos?

M4A files containing AAC audio, or Apple Lossless (ALAC) if Lossless audio quality is turned on. Both convert to MP3 the same way.

How do I send a long voice memo by email?

Convert it to MP3 at 64 kbps: an hour then takes about 28 MB. Gmail allows 25 MB attachments, so recordings up to roughly 50 minutes fit.