M4A to text: convert an M4A audio file to a transcript
Upload the M4A straight from your phone and get the words as text, split by speaker, in 99 languages.
Converting M4A to text is the quickest way to read back a voice memo. M4A is what an iPhone saves when you record with Voice Memos, and what many apps produce by default. Upload the file to voxnoto and the transcript comes back in a few minutes, no conversion to MP3 first.
How to convert an M4A to text in four steps
Open voxnoto in your browser, on a laptop or on the phone that holds the file.
Upload the M4A. On iPhone, share the memo and pick the file from Files.
Wait a few minutes, then read the transcript and rename the speakers.
Export as TXT, or translate it first.
Where M4A files come from
iPhone Voice Memos. The default recorder on iOS saves M4A. Interviews, lecture recordings and ideas dictated on a walk all arrive in this format.
Mac recordings. QuickTime audio recordings and several Mac apps use M4A as well.
Messaging and meeting apps. Some export voice notes and call recordings as M4A rather than MP3.
What you get back
The transcript. Every word, split by speaker, with timestamps, useful even for a solo memo when you want to find one idea in a twenty-minute ramble.
A summary. For long recordings, the short version you'll actually reread.
A translation. 99 languages in, translation out.
Export. TXT you can paste into notes, a doc or an email.
Recording a better voice memo
- Hold the phone 20-30 cm away rather than right at your mouth, closer isn't clearer.
- On a table, put the phone on something soft; bare surfaces pick up every tap and vibration.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb so a call doesn't cut the recording short.
- For a memo to yourself, say the topic first. It becomes the title you'll recognise later.
Do I need to convert M4A to MP3 first?
No. voxnoto reads M4A directly, along with MP3, WAV, AAC, OGG, OPUS and WMA, plus video files like MP4 and MOV. Converting first only loses quality and time.
Questions and answers
How do I convert an M4A to text?
Upload the file to voxnoto. The transcript is ready in a few minutes.
Can I transcribe an iPhone voice memo?
Yes. Share the memo to Files, then upload it, or record directly in voxnoto in your phone's browser.
Do I need to convert it to MP3 first?
No. M4A is read directly.
How big can my files be?
On Premium you can upload files up to 8 hours long and run several at once. The free plan gives you 10 minutes of transcription a day: longer files are transcribed up to that daily limit.
Which languages does it support?
Speech is recognized in 99 languages, and the spoken language is detected automatically, so there is nothing to set up. A finished transcript can be translated into 22 languages in one click.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. The free plan gives you 10 minutes of transcription every day, no card needed.
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