M4A to Text Converter
Turn an M4A recording into text for free, in your browser. It works with iPhone Voice Memos, and your audio never uploads.
How to convert M4A to text
- Drop your M4A file in the box above or choose it from your device.
- Choose Fast or Accurate.
- Press Transcribe.
- Edit the transcript, then copy it or download a .txt or .srt file.
Want to know how long the transcript runs when you read it aloud? Paste it into the words to minutes calculator.
Where M4A files come from
M4A is the audio-only version of the MP4 format, usually with AAC sound inside. iPhone Voice Memos save as M4A, and so do many Android recorders, Zoom audio exports and GarageBand bounces.
That M4A is transcribed in the browser that opened it. The recording is not uploaded to Script Timer. The speech model downloads once from the Hugging Face hub, and your browser keeps it for the next memo.
Getting an M4A off your iPhone
- Open Voice Memos and tap the recording.
- Tap the three dots, then Share.
- Choose Save to Files, or AirDrop it to your Mac.
- Open this page and choose the file.
The full walkthrough is in the guide to how to transcribe voice memos.
If your M4A won't open
If the file will not play in this tab, export it again from Voice Memos or Zoom rather than converting it to MP3 first. Try Chrome or Edge on a computer if Safari on a phone cannot decode it. Files over 60 minutes need to be split.
Turn the M4A into a script
Once the M4A is text, paste it into the words to minutes calculator to see how long it runs out loud. Cut the asides, then read the tight version on the free teleprompter.
Hear that cleaned memo in 100+ AI voices before you record a shorter version.
More free audio converters
M4A to Text FAQ
Is my M4A uploaded anywhere?
No. The M4A is decoded and transcribed in your browser. Script Timer never receives the recording. The speech model downloads once from the Hugging Face model hub and your browser caches it.
Is M4A transcription free?
Yes. An M4A transcript needs no sign-up and adds no watermark. One recording can run up to 60 minutes.
What model reads an M4A?
OpenAI's open-source Whisper model, run in the browser with transformers.js. Fast uses Whisper Tiny, which suits a clear Voice Memo on a phone. Accurate uses Whisper Base when the M4A has background noise.
Why is the first M4A slower?
The first M4A waits while the browser downloads the speech model. The next memo uses the cached model and starts right away.
Do I have to convert M4A to MP3 first?
No. This page reads M4A directly, including iPhone Voice Memos, Android recorder files, Zoom audio exports and GarageBand bounces.
What is inside an M4A file?
M4A is audio-only MP4, usually AAC. iPhone Voice Memos use that format, so you can drop the file in without converting it.
Hear it before your audience does
Paste your script into Script Timer to time it, grade the delivery and hear it in 100+ AI voices.
In-browser speech recognition follows whisper-web (MIT license).