How to Convert M4A to MP3 (iPhone Voice Memos and More)

Last updated: October 24, 2026

M4A is the format many phones use for voice recordings. iPhone Voice Memos, for example, saves AAC audio in an M4A file by default. M4A is efficient, but some players, upload forms and older devices still expect MP3, which is why conversion is so common.

What M4A actually is

M4A is a container that usually holds audio compressed with AAC. Like MP3, AAC is a lossy format. That has one practical consequence: converting M4A to MP3 means compressing the audio a second time, so some quality is lost. For speech the difference is usually hard to hear, as long as you pick a sensible bitrate.

Step by step

1. Get the recording off your phone. On iPhone, share it from Voice Memos to Files, Mail or AirDrop. On Android, copy it from your recorder's folder.
2. Open the Sayvoi converter in your browser and drop in the M4A files. You can select many at once.
3. Set the output format to MP3.
4. Choose a bitrate: 96 to 128 kbps is plenty for speech. Use 192 kbps or more for music.
5. For a single speaker, choose Mono. The file gets smaller and the quality of the voice is not reduced.
6. Press Convert all and download the results.

Tips

• Keep the original M4A. If you need to convert again later, start from the original, not from the MP3.
• If the project wants uncompressed audio, convert M4A to WAV instead. It will not add back detail, but it avoids a second lossy step. See WAV vs MP3 vs FLAC.
• Browser support: the browser must be able to read AAC. Current versions of Chrome, Edge and Safari can. If a file does not open, try another browser.
• Check the sample rate. Phone recordings are commonly 44.1 or 48 kHz. If your project needs another rate, set it in the same step. See sample rates.

Is it private?

Yes. The conversion runs inside your browser and the file is never uploaded. Details are in our privacy policy.

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