From a voice memo to a useful document.
Keep the idea you recorded on your phone. Upload the original M4A, listen back as you check the words, and save a plain-text copy for your notes, interview or next draft.
Start with your iPhone voice memo.
- In Voice Memos, select your recording and open the More menu.
- Choose Share, then Save to Files. Pick a folder you can find again.
- Return here and choose that M4A file. Check the preview before starting.
Apple uses M4A as the default export format. If sharing options are available, choose Rendered for one audio file with effects and layers mixed together. Editable can produce QuickTime Audio instead. Check the extension of the saved file; changing its name does not convert it.
See Apple’s recording export instructions if the controls differ on your phone. Keep your original recording until you have checked both the exported audio and your transcript.
Use the original file. Skip the MP3 conversion.
ScribeText accepts M4A directly. Converting it to MP3 first adds an unnecessary step and can introduce another round of audio compression. It will not fix overlapping voices or a distant microphone.
Already have an MP3 or WAV? Use Audio to Text for other audio formats. A file still inside a recorder app needs to be exported first. If it is stored in iCloud, let the download finish before selecting it.
Know what you can upload.
You get ten free transcription minutes once per verified account. Sign in with Google or verify your email to use them. Selecting a file gives you a local preview; transcription begins only when you start the task. Check its duration against your available balance.
The file limit is 2 GB and five hours, subject to the minutes in your account. That is an upload limit, not the free allowance. Leave language detection on automatic or select English for an English recording. This workflow transcribes the spoken language; it does not translate it into English.
Listen once. Catch the details that matter.
Read the transcript alongside the audio. Start with names, dates, numbers and specialist vocabulary: a sentence can look plausible while getting an important detail wrong. Correct a name once, then check its other occurrences before saving.
For an interview, listen to the full passage before using a quote. For a lecture, compare unfamiliar terms with your slides. For a voice memo, keep a reference copy before turning your spoken draft into polished prose. Mark words you cannot hear confidently instead of guessing them.
Echo, background noise and people speaking at the same time can reduce accuracy. The short example above lets you inspect one result; it is not an accuracy benchmark for your recordings.
Take the text into your next task.
Save your corrections and download TXT. Open it in a text editor, paste it into a document, or search it later. Plain text is useful for interview notes, a study reference or the first draft of an article. It does not include the original audio or rich document formatting.
Need captions instead? Audio to SRT creates timed subtitles from the same supported audio formats. A subtitle file includes the times at which words appear; a TXT document is for reading and reuse.
A few checks before you retry.
The file will not open
Play the exported copy outside Voice Memos. If it is incomplete or uses an editable recording format, export a fresh rendered M4A. A renamed extension does not repair the file.
The recording is too long for your balance
Choose a shorter relevant recording or review your plan before starting. Pro includes 800 minutes per subscription month for $8 monthly or $60 yearly, with no rollover.
The words are unclear
Try the original recording before a compressed or processed copy. Missing or covered speech may still need manual review; another conversion cannot reliably recover words that cannot be heard.
What happens to your recording?
Your uploaded recording and saved transcript are private to your account. New source audio is retained for 30 days; saved text remains until you delete the recording or account. Keep your own original and download the text you need. Read our privacy policy for storage and processing details.