How to Turn a Voice Memo Into an MP3 (iPhone, Mac, Windows)

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Quick and easy ways to change a Voice Memo to MP3

Written by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: May 21, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Your iPhone

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Using Apple Music on Mac

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Using iTunes on Windows

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Video

This wikiHow will show you how to convert a Voice Memo (which is automatically an AAC file) to MP3 using Apple Music on your Mac or iTunes for Windows. If you want to use your iPhone directly for this process, you'll need to download a third-party app from the App Store.

Quick Steps

Save the Voice Memo to Files on your iPhone.
Download the Media Converter app from the App Store.
Tap Convert Audio and browse My iPhone to find your file.
Tap the file and select MP3 from the Output Format dropdown.
Tap the Convert button.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Your iPhone

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Save the Voice Memo to your local phone storage. In the Voice Memos app, tap ••• next to the Voice Memo you want to convert, then tap Save to Files and a destination (like Music). Otherwise, your Voice Memos save inside that app and it can be difficult to find this file when using the converting app.
2
Download an audio conversion app from the App Store
. There are a few different apps you can use to do this. One excellent free option is Media Converter – video to mp3. The icon for this app looks like a blue film strip with a pair of white curved arrows in the center. Tap Get next to the app to download it, then tap Open once it finishes downloading.
- Despite the name of this app, you can also use it to convert audio to audio.
- Another well-rated option is The Audio Converter from Float Tech, LLC, but the MP3 output format is only available in the premium version of the app.
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Depending on the app you’re using, the process may vary slightly. If you’re using Media Converter, tap Convert Audio, then select My iPhone. You should see your saved voice memo in the list of recently added files. Select it and tap Open.
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Choose your preferred output format. If you’re using Media Converter, tap the file you selected to see your conversion options. You’ll see a dropdown menu next to Output Format right below a window displaying your selected file. MP3 may already be selected by default, but if it’s not, choose it from the list of formats.
- In this menu, you can also choose other formatting options, such as your bitrate, sample rate, channel count, volume, and the time range of the original recording you want to convert.
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Tap the Convert button. In Media Converter, this is located in the top right corner of the screen. It looks like a blue square with a red arrow pointing right. Press Start to begin the process.
- While Media Converter allows you to convert files to MP3 for free, you can upgrade to the premium version for faster conversion speeds. However, if your original Voice Memo is fairly short, even the basic free conversion will go quite fast.
- You can also tap the More button once the conversion is complete move, send, or rename your new MP3 file. Use the Send/Open In… option to save it to Files or share it with someone.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Apple Music on Mac

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1
Open Apple Music. You'll find this application in your Dock or Applications folder in Finder.^{[1]
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- The most recent version of the app icon looks like a pair of white musical notes on a pinkish-red background.
- If you have iCloud enabled for Voice Memos on both your iPhone and Mac, your Voice Memo will appear in your song library. If iCloud is not enabled, you can use AirDrop or a cable to send the file to your computer.
You'll see the Music tab in the horizontal menu that runs along the top of your screen.
This is inside the Files tab if you don't immediately see it.^{[2]
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This will change whatever format the Voice Memo is in (usually AAC) to MP3.^{[3]
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The window will close. Click OK again in the Settings window to return to your song library.
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Select the Voice Memo that you want to convert in your library. Single-click a song title to select it; double-click it to play it. If it isn’t already in your library, you can import it:
- Click File > Import… at the top of the screen.
- Select your file and click Open.
- Locate the file in your library.
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Select File > Convert, then click Create MP3 Version. After you click this, the MP3 version will appear next to the AAC version.^{[4]
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- To double-check the file format, click the ••• button next to the new Voice Memo track in your library and select Get Info. You’ll see formatting info under the File tab.
  - Next to the kind header, you’ll see “MPEG audio file.” Next to the format header, it should say “MPEG-1, Layer 3” (this is the same as MP3).

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using iTunes on Windows

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1
Open iTunes. You'll find this purple, blue, and pink music note application icon in your Start menu or in File Explorer.^{[5]
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- If iCloud is not enabled, you can use a lightning and USB cable to transfer the file to your computer.
- You can also use iTunes on a Mac running macOS Mojave or earlier.
You'll find the "Edit" tab near the top of the iTunes program window.
You'll find this in the "General" tab, which should be active by default.^{[6]
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This will change whatever format the Voice Memo is in (usually AAC) to MP3.
The window will close and you'll be redirected to your song library.
6
Select the Voice Memo that you want to convert in your library. Single-click a song title to select it; double-click it to play it.
- If you don’t see the Voice Memo in your library, you might need to import it. Click File > Add File to Library…, then browse for your Voice Memo and click Open.
After you click this, the MP3 version will appear next to the original AAC version.^{[7]
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