M4A to WAV Converter

How to convert M4A to WAV

The converter reads each file's length and format first, so you see how big the WAV will be before you convert.

1. 1

   Add your M4A files

   Drag one or more .m4a files onto the converter or click to browse. Up to 10 files go in the list, each up to 100 MB and 30 minutes. .m4b audiobooks, MP4 audio and .aac files work too.

2. 2

   Keep the format or pick one

   Same as the file is the default: the WAV keeps the recording's sample rate and channels. Change it only if the program you are feeding asks for something else, such as 48 kHz for a video editor or 16 kHz mono for a speech tool.

3. 3

   Convert and download each WAV

   Convert runs through the list one file at a time. Each finished file gets its own preview and Download button, with the same name and a .wav ending. Remove a file or convert it again with other settings at any time.

Get a voice memo off your iPhone

Voice Memos shares a recording as a single .m4a file. Move it to the device you convert on, then drop it here.

1. 1

   Share the memo as a rendered file

   In Voice Memos, tap the recording, tap the More button, then Share. Under Options, choose Rendered: Apple describes it as a single .m4a file with all audio effects and layers mixed in.

2. 2

   Save it where you can reach it

   Save to Files to convert on the iPhone itself in Safari, or AirDrop or email it to your computer. The file keeps the memo's name, and so does the WAV.

3. 3

   Add several memos at once

   Interviews, site visits and lectures often come as a string of memos. Add them all, convert once and download each WAV; nothing is joined or renamed.

When you need WAV instead of M4A

M4A is the better file for keeping and sharing a recording. WAV is what some software insists on.

• Audio editors and DAWs

  Editors and digital audio workstations handle uncompressed WAV without decoding it on the fly, and some older or simpler ones do not open M4A at all. Convert at the project's rate so the editor does not resample.

• Transcription and speech tools

  Some speech-to-text programs, research tools and voice-analysis scripts only read WAV, often 16 kHz mono. Pick 16 kHz and Mono for those; for the ParrotNotes Audio to Text Converter you do not need to convert at all.

• Programs that will not open the file

  If a player, an older Windows program or a hardware device refuses the .m4a, a 16-bit WAV is the file almost everything opens.

• Upload forms and archives

  Some client portals, broadcast slots and archives list WAV as the accepted or preferred format. Converting gives them the file type they ask for; keep the M4A too.

How much bigger the WAV gets

M4A is compressed; WAV is not. A minute of M4A is about 469 KB at 64 kbps, 938 KB at 128 kbps and 1.8 MB at 256 kbps. The same minute as a 16-bit WAV is sample rate × 2 bytes × channels × 60 seconds, so the file grows by the factors below. The converter shows the size for each of your files before you convert.

Which browsers convert M4A