Convert M4A voice recordings to text

Turn a phone voice memo or M4A recording into an editable transcript. Upload the original file, check the language and review the words alongside the audio.

Get the voice memo onto your device

In your recording app, use its share or export control to save the recording as a file. In iPhone Voice Memos, select the recording, open More, choose Share, then Save to Files. Keep the default M4A export. Apple’s Voice Memos export guide explains the options. You can then select the saved file from the browser’s file picker; there is no need to convert it to MP3 first.

The service accepts files up to 500 MB and ten hours. It needs the recording itself, not a link to a shared folder or a screenshot of the recording app.

From voice memo to transcript

  • Choose the M4A file and review the quote before paying.
  • Select the language spoken in the recording, or use automatic detection.
  • Sign in and pay. Processing time varies; an email arrives when it finishes.
  • Play the recording while checking the transcript, save corrections and download.

Short recordings still have a minimum

Transcription costs $2.00 per hour with a $2.00 minimum per file. A five-minute voice memo and a 50-minute interview each cost $2.00. Ten separate five-minute memos cost $20.00. There is no subscription; check pricing if you have many short recordings.

What can affect a phone recording?

A phone inside a pocket or far from the speaker can produce muffled speech. Wind, traffic and a second person speaking over the first also make review more important. Check names, numbers and quiet passages against the original audio instead of trusting a plausible sentence.

Text, documents and subtitles

Download TXT for plain text, DOCX for Word, SRT or VTT for timestamped subtitles, or PDF when its font supports the transcript. The transcript keeps the spoken language; it is not a translation.

TXT, DOCX and PDF include saved text edits. SRT and VTT include speaker renames but retain the original wording. Review and correct subtitle text and timing in a subtitle editor.

See the language list and the review checklist. Already have an MP3 file? Use the MP3-to-text guide.