Free tool

M4A to MP3 Converter

Turn M4A recordings and songs into MP3 for any device or app that won't accept Apple's format. iPhone Voice Memos convert directly in Safari, and nothing is uploaded while it happens.

01 — Your file

Choose a file

02 — Result

Your converted file

Choose a file and press Convert to MP3. The conversion runs in this tab, so even large files never leave your computer or phone.

How to convert M4A to MP3

  1. Open the M4A with the box above.
  2. Choose 128 kbps for spoken recordings or 192 kbps or more for music.
  3. Convert and save the MP3.

Voice Memos from an iPhone

The Voice Memos app saves each recording as an M4A file. To convert one on the phone, open the memo, tap the three-dot button, then Share, and choose "Save to Files". Open this page in Safari and pick the file from Files. On a Mac, drag a memo out of the Voice Memos app to the desktop and drop it here.

Voice memos are speech, so 128 kbps MP3 is plenty and keeps a one-hour lecture around 58 MB. If the file needs to be smaller still, for example to email it, the audio compressor goes down to 32 kbps mono.

What's inside an M4A

M4A is an MP4-style audio file. Most contain AAC, a lossy codec. Some contain Apple Lossless (ALAC), which is what Voice Memos produces with its lossless quality setting and what some music libraries use. The converter reads both. With ALAC, the MP3 is encoded from a perfect source; with AAC, it's a second lossy step, which is hard to hear at 192 kbps.

Files that won't convert

Songs bought from the iTunes Store before 2009 may carry FairPlay DRM, and Apple Music downloads are protected. Protected files can't be opened by any converter, this one included. Everything you recorded yourself, and DRM-free purchases, convert normally.

When MP3 isn't needed

Many apps that once required MP3 now take M4A, including mydubly: the M4A to text page transcribes voice memos directly. Converting is still the simplest fix for car stereos, older MP3 players, some podcast hosts and web forms that list MP3 only. For lecture and interview memos, the voice memo to text workflow covers transcription end to end.

How the free converter works

The converter is ffmpeg, the open-source media toolkit, compiled to WebAssembly so it runs inside your browser tab. Your file is read straight from your disk by that engine; it is never uploaded to mydubly or anywhere else, and no account is needed.

  • The engine is about 30 MB and downloads the first time you convert something. After that your browser normally keeps it.
  • Large inputs are fine because the file is read in place, but the result is built in memory, so outputs are capped at about 1.5 GB.
  • Speed depends on your device. Copying streams takes seconds; re-encoding video is the slow case.
  • Keep the tab open until the download button appears. Closing it stops the conversion.

More free tools

Turn the file into text

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert an iPhone voice memo to MP3?

In Voice Memos, use Share and then Save to Files. Open this page in Safari, choose the memo, convert and save the MP3. No app is needed.

Is M4A better quality than MP3?

At the same bitrate, AAC in M4A usually sounds better than MP3. MP3's advantage is compatibility, not quality.

Can I convert Apple Music songs to MP3?

No. Apple Music downloads are DRM-protected and no converter can open them. Your own recordings and DRM-free tracks convert normally.

Does it keep the recording's length and timing?

Yes. The MP3 has the same length as the M4A and starts at the same moment.