Convert M4A to WAV
Turn M4A files from iPhone Voice Memos, Zoom or iTunes into 16-bit PCM WAV that editors and transcription tools open easily.
Turn M4A files from iPhone Voice Memos, Zoom or iTunes into 16-bit PCM WAV that editors and transcription tools open easily.
M4A is an MPEG-4 audio file. Inside, it almost always holds AAC, a lossy codec, though some files contain Apple Lossless (ALAC) instead. Apple devices and apps create M4A by default, which is why so many recordings and purchased songs end up in this format, and why so many editing and speech tools on other platforms ask you to convert it first.
This page decodes the M4A and writes a 16-bit PCM WAV. The sample rate stays the same as your file, and mono recordings stay mono while stereo stays stereo. You don't set anything; the conversion always uses those settings.
Common places M4A files come from include iPhone Voice Memos, the audio-only file Zoom saves with local recordings, songs bought from the iTunes Store, GarageBand exports, and many Android recorder apps.
AAC discards some detail when a file is first encoded, and that detail is gone for good. Decoding to WAV captures exactly what you hear when the M4A plays, with no further loss, but it can't put back what AAC removed. You get an uncompressed file that software handles easily, not a better-sounding one.
The growth in size depends on the bitrate of the original. WAV at 44.1 kHz stereo runs at about 1,411 kbps no matter what the source was:
| M4A contents | M4A per minute | WAV per minute (44.1 kHz stereo) | Size increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAC 128 kbps | about 0.96 MB | about 10.1 MB | about 11x |
| AAC 192 kbps | about 1.44 MB | about 10.1 MB | about 7x |
| AAC 256 kbps | about 1.92 MB | about 10.1 MB | about 5.5x |
| Apple Lossless (ALAC) | varies, similar to FLAC | about 10.1 MB | about 1.5 to 2.5x |
If your M4A is Apple Lossless at 16-bit, the WAV is a bit-exact copy. A 24-bit ALAC file is reduced to 16-bit, which is still CD quality.
.m4p extension are DRM-protected. Only unprotected M4A files work.If you only need something smaller and more widely playable, M4A to MP3 is a better fit. Files ending in .aac use the same codec without the MP4 wrapper; convert those on the AAC to WAV page. More WAV options are on the WAV converter.
| M4A | WAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 Audio (AAC in an MP4 container) | Waveform Audio File Format |
| Compression | Lossy (AAC) | Uncompressed (PCM) |
| Developed by | MPEG / Apple | Microsoft and IBM |
| Introduced | 2003 | 1991 |
| File extension | .m4a | .wav |
| Typically used for | Apple Music and iTunes libraries, iPhone voice memos, podcasts | Recording, editing, mastering, broadcast |
| Plays on | Apple devices, Android, Windows 10+, modern browsers | All desktop systems and audio editors; most phones and browsers |
| Our output | AAC-LC 192 kbps in MP4, fast-start | 16-bit PCM, original sample rate and channels |
No. Most M4A files contain AAC, a lossy codec, and the detail removed during that encoding can't be restored. The WAV sounds exactly like the M4A does on playback. What you gain is compatibility: an uncompressed 16-bit PCM file that editors, DAWs, transcription services and hardware accept without trouble.
In the Voice Memos app, share the recording and save it to Files. Then open this page in your browser, tap the upload area, pick the M4A from Files, choose WAV and tap Convert. When it finishes, download the WAV. Voice memos keep their sample rate and mono or stereo channels in the converted file.
Songs downloaded through an Apple Music subscription and older iTunes purchases with the .m4p extension are protected by DRM, and protected files can't be converted. DRM-free M4A files, such as iTunes Plus purchases, your own recordings and GarageBand exports, convert normally as long as they are 50 MB or smaller.
Much larger than the M4A. A minute of 44.1 kHz stereo WAV takes about 10.1 MB, and 48 kHz stereo about 11 MB, regardless of the M4A's bitrate. That means a 256 kbps M4A grows about 5.5 times and a 128 kbps file about 11 times. Mono recordings produce WAVs about half that size.
No. Your upload is deleted as soon as the conversion succeeds, and the WAV plus any leftover files are removed automatically within about an hour. The conversion is done by FFmpeg on our servers; we don't listen to or keep your recordings, which matters for private voice memos and meeting audio.
Need detailed information or want to set a different default format? Visit our specific converter pages: