Convert M4A to MP3
Convert an M4A file, such as an iPhone voice memo, into an MP3 that any device or app accepts. It runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Your file never leaves your device. How?
Your media is processed in your browser and is not uploaded to our servers for conversion. Page assets (including the converter engine) still load over the network.
Select or drop a video or audio file
MP4, MOV, WebM, MKV, M4A, WAV, FLAC, OGG and more. Converted on your device.
Click, tap, or drop a fileHow to convert M4A to MP3
Export the M4A
In Voice Memos, tap the recording, then Share and Save to Files. On a computer, use the .m4a file directly.
Choose the file
Drop or select the M4A. MP3 is preselected.
Pick the bitrate
128 kbps suits voice memos; use 192 kbps or more for music.
Convert and download
Conversion runs on your device. Download the MP3 when it's ready.
Why convert M4A to MP3
M4A is an AAC audio file in an MP4 container. iPhone Voice Memos, many Apple Music purchases and a lot of phone recorders save M4A. It sounds good and is compact, but some upload forms, older players, Windows apps and podcast or transcription services only accept MP3.
Voice memos are usually recorded at a modest bitrate, so 128 kbps MP3 loses nothing audible. Files bought from iTunes before 2009 may be protected .m4p files; DRM-protected audio can't be converted by any browser tool.
What happens to your M4A
FFmpeg in WebAssembly decodes the AAC audio and re-encodes it with the LAME MP3 encoder. Tags such as title and artist are copied where the MP3 format supports them.
AAC to MP3 is a lossy re-encode, so keep your original M4A. If the app you're sending to accepts M4A, you don't need to convert at all.
Features
Voice Memos ready
Handles the .m4a files iPhone Voice Memos exports.
Keeps tags
Title and artist tags are carried over to the MP3 where possible.
Right-sized output
128 kbps for speech keeps a one-hour memo around 58 MB.
Private
Personal recordings are converted on your device, never uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs in your browser with a WebAssembly build of FFmpeg. Your file is read from your device and the result is saved back to it; nothing is sent to our servers.
How do I get a voice memo off my iPhone?
Open Voice Memos, tap the recording, tap the three dots or Share, and choose Save to Files. Then open this page in Safari and pick the file.
Will the MP3 sound worse than the M4A?
At 128 kbps or above, voice recordings sound the same. For music choose 192 or 320 kbps. Converting is a re-encode, so keep the original.
Why won't my .m4p file convert?
M4P files are DRM-protected purchases from the old iTunes Store. The protection prevents conversion, and this tool does not remove DRM.
Is M4A the same as MP4?
They use the same container. M4A holds only audio (usually AAC); MP4 usually holds video too. Both open here.
Can I cut the memo before converting?
Use the Audio Cutter to keep just the part you need and save it as MP3 in one step.
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