Convert a voice memo to text
Upload the M4A file your phone's voice memo app saved and get a transcript back in seconds.
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MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC · MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM · up to 2 GB
Set language, translation, or vocabulary hints below before transcribing
YouTube, Dropbox, Google Drive, or any direct MP3/MP4 link
Not applied on Gemini 3.5 Transcribe — the model can't combine vocabulary hints with word-level timestamps
.m4a accepted directly · up to 2 GB · 10 minutes free every day
How it works
Upload your file
Drag and drop your .m4a file onto the box below, or paste a link. No account needed to start.
AI transcribes it
OpenAI Whisper, Microsoft MAI-Transcribe 1.5, or Google Gemini 3.5 Transcribe converts the audio to text, detecting the language automatically.
Download the transcript
Get plain text back, plus SRT and VTT subtitle files when the recording carries timing information.
Generate more
From the finished job, request an AI summary, an action list, or a translation into any of 103 languages — applied straight to the completed transcript, no re-upload needed.
About .m4a files
A "voice memo" isn't a file format — it's the recording itself, made with your phone's built-in recorder app rather than a dedicated device. On iPhone that's the Voice Memos app, which saves an M4A (AAC audio) file; most Android voice recorder apps do the same, or occasionally save as MP3 or 3GP depending on the phone maker. Whatever the exact format, it uploads the same way here.
The recording quality of a voice memo depends entirely on how the phone was positioned when you hit record — held close during a quick note-to-self, or sitting on a table across the room during a meeting. Both work, but the further the phone is from the speaker, the more room echo and background noise get picked up, which is the main accuracy factor for phone recordings rather than anything about the file format itself.
Getting the file off the phone is usually the only extra step: on iPhone, share the memo via AirDrop, Files, email, or a cloud drive to get it onto whatever device you're uploading from; Android's Files app or a cloud sync does the same. Once it's accessible from a browser, upload it directly — no conversion needed regardless of which app made it.
You'll get a plain-text transcript back, and SRT or VTT subtitle files alongside it if the recording carries timing information — useful for pairing a memo with a video later.
Where these files usually come from
- iPhone Voice Memos app
- Android built-in recorder apps
- Quick meeting or reminder recordings
- Field notes recorded on the move
Things to know
A voice memo recorded with the phone sitting on a table, rather than held close, picks up more room echo and background noise, which is the most common accuracy issue with this kind of recording.
For anything important, hold the phone closer to the speaker or use an external mic if one is available. For memos already recorded that way, transcription usually still works — errors tend to cluster in the quietest or most distant sections.
Simple pay-as-you-go pricing
10 minutes free every day. Beyond that, €0.02/minute with a €0.50 minimum — no subscription. Files are automatically deleted within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
- What file format does a voice memo save as?
- On iPhone, the Voice Memos app saves M4A (AAC audio). Android recorder apps vary by manufacturer but commonly also save as M4A or MP3. All of these are accepted for upload without conversion.
- How do I get a voice memo off my phone to upload it?
- On iPhone, use the share button in the Voice Memos app to send it via AirDrop, email, or a cloud drive. On Android, use the Files app or your recorder app's share/export option. Once the file is accessible from the device you're uploading from, drop it in directly.
- Why does my voice memo transcript have more errors than a proper recording?
- Phone microphones and casual recording positions (memo on a table, held in a pocket) pick up more room noise than a dedicated recorder held close to the speaker. That's the main driver of accuracy issues on voice memos — not the file format.
- Is there a limit on how long a voice memo can be?
- Files up to 2 GB are accepted, which for a compressed phone recording covers many hours — far more than a typical voice memo.
- Are voice memos kept private?
- Yes. Files are automatically deleted within 24 hours of upload and are never used to train AI models.
Already have subtitles, not audio?
If you're trying to convert an existing SRT or VTT file rather than transcribe new audio, the browser-based subtitle tools handle that instantly, with nothing uploaded anywhere.
See subtitle tools →