Convert M4A to text, right on your device
M4A is the format of iPhone Voice Memos, Zoom audio-only recordings and many Mac apps. Drop one here for an accurate, editable transcript.
- Never uploaded
- No sign-up
- No daily limits
- Free
Keep this tab open and in front. Browsers slow down background tabs.
Click any line to fix a word. Downloads include your edits.
How it works
- Choose the languageSet the language spoken in the M4A.
- Drop the M4AAny length.
- Copy or downloadTXT, TXT with timestamps, SRT or VTT.
Where M4A files come from
iPhone and Mac Voice Memos save M4A, Zoom saves an audio-only M4A next to each local recording, and GarageBand, QuickTime and many Android recorders export it too. There is nothing to convert first.
For iPhone recordings, see voice memo to text for the quickest way to get the file onto your computer.
Measured, not promised
Results from our benchmark on clear, read English speech. Noisy audio, heavy accents and crosstalk give more errors. See the full benchmark.
Why your file never leaves your computer
Most online transcribers upload your recording to their servers. That costs them money for every minute, so free plans are capped at a few files or a few minutes a day, and your audio sits on someone else's computer.
Here the transcription happens on your own computer, inside this tab. Nothing is sent anywhere, so there is nothing to cap: transcribe as many files, as long as you like.
Questions
Does it work on an iPhone directly?
Short M4A files work in Safari on iPhone, but phones are much slower than laptops. For anything over a few minutes, move the file to a computer.
Which quality should I choose?
Leave it on Auto. It picks the most accurate quality your computer runs well, and switches to a lighter one if your computer slows down. Best needs a fast computer.
Is it really free and unlimited?
Yes. Your device does the work, so a file costs us nothing to process. There is no daily cap, no length limit and no account.
Is my audio uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and transcribed inside your browser tab. Only the speech engine itself is downloaded, once.
Why does it download something first?
That is the speech engine, which does the transcribing on your computer. It is a one-time download of 44–566 MB depending on the quality, and your browser keeps it after that. It has nothing to do with the size of your files.
Which browsers work?
Recent Chrome, Edge and Safari on a laptop or desktop. Chrome and Edge are usually fastest. Phones work for short files, but are slower.
Does it label different speakers?
Not yet. You get accurate text with timestamps; speaker labels are on our list.
Can I close the tab while it works?
Keep the tab open and in front. Browsers slow down background tabs, which can make a long file take up to four times longer.