M4A to WAV Converter
Convert M4A to WAV when an editor, DAW or transcription service will not take M4A. iPhone voice memos, GarageBand exports and other AAC or Apple Lossless files become standard 16- or 24-bit PCM WAV at their original sample rate. Convert a batch at once in your browser; the recordings are never uploaded.
- Runs on your device
- WebCodecs · GPU
- Web Audio
- Works offline
Updated
Drop your audio files here
How to convert M4A to WAV
Step 1: Drop your M4A files on the box above. Voice memos saved to the Files app work directly.
Step 2: Keep Bit depth at 16-bit for most apps, or choose 24-bit for a DAW project.
Step 3: Press Convert. The original sample rate is kept unless you change it under Advanced settings.
Step 4: Download the WAV files, or all of them as a ZIP.
Good to know
Settings explained
- Bitrate
- 128 kbps is fine for speech, 192 kbps for music, 320 kbps is the MP3 maximum.
- OGG codec
- Godot, Unity and older players need Vorbis. Vorbis uses the FFmpeg engine (≈31 MB, downloaded once).
- Opus: Smaller
- Vorbis: Games, older players
Formats
Batch-friendly: add many files and they are processed one after another — if one fails, the rest still finish.
How it runs
- Hardware video engine
- Video is decoded and encoded by your device’s media hardware through WebCodecs — usually several times faster than real time.
- Web Audio
- Audio is processed with the browser’s built-in Web Audio engine, sample-accurate and fast.
Is WAV better than M4A?
For editing, yes; for storing and sharing, no. M4A is compressed, usually with AAC, so it is small but has to be decoded every time it is played or edited. WAV holds the decoded samples directly, so every editor opens it and nothing degrades when you save again. Converting gives you the same sound in a more workable form, not better sound.
| M4A | WAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Audio inside | AAC (lossy) or Apple Lossless | Uncompressed PCM |
| Size per minute | About 0.5–2 MB for AAC | 5.8 MB mono or 11.5 MB stereo at 48 kHz, 16-bit |
| Opens in Audacity without extras | No, it needs the optional FFmpeg library | Yes |
| Accepted by transcription and broadcast systems | Not always | Almost always |
| Re-saving after edits | Each AAC save loses a little | No loss |
Why is my WAV file so big?
Because WAV does not compress at all. A voice memo stored as AAC uses a few dozen kilobits per second; the same minute as 48 kHz, 16-bit mono WAV uses 768 kilobits per second, so the WAV is often around ten times larger. It is the price of a format every editor can open instantly.
| WAV setting | Per minute | 30-minute recording |
|---|---|---|
| 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, mono | 5.3 MB | 159 MB |
| 48 kHz, 16-bit, mono | 5.8 MB | 173 MB |
| 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo | 10.6 MB | 318 MB |
| 48 kHz, 24-bit, stereo | 17.3 MB | 518 MB |
How to convert a voice memo to WAV
- Put the memo where Safari can reach it: in the iPhone’s Voice Memos app, open the recording’s ••• menu, pick Share, then Save to Files.
- Back in Safari on this page, tap the drop zone and choose that memo from the Files browser.
- Press Convert; the WAV is saved to Downloads in Files, ready to upload to a transcription service or send to a computer.
Convert M4A to WAV on a Mac or Windows PC
Mac
Drag M4A files from Finder into Safari or Chrome here. The Music app can also make WAV versions of songs in its library (set the import encoder to WAV first), but only for songs already in that library, not for voice memos.
Windows
Drag the files in from File Explorer. Windows plays M4A but has no option to save it as WAV, and Audacity needs an extra library to open M4A at all.
Why convert M4A to WAV here
- Apple Lossless too. Voice memos recorded with the Lossless setting go straight to PCM WAV with no lossy step in between; pick 24-bit if the source is a 24-bit recording.
- Your sample rate, your bit depth. The original rate is kept by default; 16- or 24-bit is your choice.
- Private. Interviews and meetings recorded on a phone stay on your device; there is no upload.
Tips & troubleshooting
Only need the words? Audio to text transcribes the M4A directly on your device, no WAV needed.
Need an MP3 to share instead? Use M4A to MP3; WAV is for editing, not sending.
Trim the start and end of a long memo with the MP3 cutter before converting to keep the WAV small.
M4A to WAV Converter FAQ
How do I convert M4A to WAV on a Mac?
Open this page in Safari or Chrome, drag the M4A files from Finder onto the drop zone and press Convert. The WAVs are saved to Downloads. No app is needed, and the files are not uploaded.
How do I convert a voice memo to WAV?
Save the memo to the Files app with Share › Save to Files, open this page in Safari, pick the memo and press Convert. The 16-bit WAV is saved to Downloads.
Should I pick 16-bit or 24-bit?
Choose 16-bit for transcription services, editors and playback; it holds everything in a typical M4A. Choose 24-bit if the WAV is going into a DAW session that uses 24-bit files.
Can I convert .aac files to WAV too?
Yes. Raw .aac files, M4A, M4B audiobooks without DRM and audio-only MP4 files all hold AAC audio and convert to WAV the same way. Copy-protected Apple Music downloads cannot be decoded by any browser.
Does converting M4A to WAV improve quality?
No. The WAV is an exact copy of the decoded audio, so it sounds the same. It is simply easier to edit, and further saves no longer add loss.