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Use iTunes To Convert iPhone Voice Memos From M4a to MP3 [VIDEO]

Posted on February 27, 2010

I’ve received a lot of questions from my previous blog post on converting and editing an iPhone voice memo.

How do I get the mp3 option to show up?

itunes m4a conversion to mp3 for iphone

Watch and Learn

Yes, it’s true. You can convert the .m4a files to .mp3.

Go to your preferences in iTunes to change your import options.
itunes m4a conversion to mp3 for iphone
General Tab and “Import Settings”
itunes m4a conversion to mp3 for iphone

Change encoder choice to MP3
itunes m4a conversion to mp3 for iphone


Then right click the file to convert it and you now have an mp3 version of your iPhone voice memo which you can edit in Audacity!
itunes m4a conversion to mp3 for iphone

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- 43 Comments - Posted in How To, iPhone, Video Tutorial, Videos I made, Your Data

  • Buffy Hamilton

    You are awesome! THANK YOU!

  • http://twitter.com/MattHewitt Matt Hewitt

    Thanks you rock!

  • http://butyoureagirl.com adriarichards

    you're welcome!

  • Jean-Guy

    Adria,

    I might be old, but your explanations were crystal clear. And I managed, thanks to you, to get around Apple's walls of desparation.

    Merci beaucoup.
    Jg

  • http://butyoureagirl.com adriarichards

    Hooray!

    You're welcome ;)

  • http://butyoureagirl.com adriarichards

    Matt,

    Thanks! Glad it helped you!

  • Abeiku0007

    my converted m4a to mp3 files dont show up in itunes or in the designated folder, help pleeeaasseeee

  • http://butyoureagirl.com adriarichards

    How are you searching for them?

    You can also sort your itunes by date created to find the newly converted
    mp3's

  • Abeiku0007

    my converted m4a to mp3 files dont show up in itunes or in the designated folder, help pleeeaasseeee

  • http://butyoureagirl.com adriarichards

    How are you searching for them?

    You can also sort your itunes by date created to find the newly converted
    mp3's

  • Scott

    Thanks for the tip…I too sing weird songs in my car, I actually have enough for an album! It is called YO SLOBES

  • http://twitter.com/transformclub Clare Josa

    Thank you! Exactly what I needed and kind of you to put it in a video as well as screen shots.
    Gratitude!
    Clare x

  • Rwebbontheweb

    Very helpful! Thanks, Adria!

  • HELP!

    I did everything you said but when I click on advanced the ” convert to mp3″ option is grayed out! What do I do????

  • Gvane09

    Thank you so much, I’ve spent countless hours trying to download a software to do that… your advice saved me big time!

  • MJ

    You Rock! Thank You

  • http://www.easydvdburning.com/ DVD Burning

    The video says it all, nice share!

  • KB

    Thanks. Very straightforward explanation and pics. If only Apple website could’ve dealt with this in the same way – I did not find their instructions helpful.

  • Regiemon

    great tutorial – well explained
    http://www.wmamp3converter.com

  • Bgswansonlocc

    How do you find the voice memos in itunes? I would email it to me but my voice memos are 45 minutes long.

  • Techbear

    THanks!

  • http://butyoureagirl.com adriarichards

    you’re welcome!

  • Jsharrison

    Hi I just converted to mp3 but can’t find it to put onto audacity any help please

  • http://butyoureagirl.com adriarichards

    In iTunes, sort your list of songs by “date added”

  • esherman

    Hello!
    Please help, I did exactly just as you told, but when I click “advanced” I see “Create MP3 version” But it’s grey which means I’m not able to use/click it!
    Also, when I right click my voice memo I don’t see Create MP3 Version anywhere.
    Please help!

  • http://butyoureagirl.com adriarichards

    Hey there,

    Are you seeing it greyed out on a voice memo or a song you bought/imported
    into iTunes?

    You need to make sure you’ve changed your “import settings” to MP3 instead
    of the default AAC. Watch both videos here
    http://butyoureagirl.com/2009/09/17/how-to-convert-iphone-voice-memos-to-mp3/

  • Jsharrison

    it is a voice m,emo that is 15 minutes long so axfered to i tunes then did the convert to mpg then lost it oh and then I need to x fer to audacity.

  • http://twitter.com/sparkLDN Spark London

    Adria Richards you’re a genius

  • Jenny

    It all makes sense and after I set it to mp3 I click OK. Then there’s the general tab, I was looking for an OK but there isn’t any so I exited it… So it didn’t save my changes I assume. There is no OK button?! -cries- I just download the newest I tunes but I don’t see why they would remove the button. So it doesn’t work for me :(

  • Jenny

    nvm, If you press ‘enter’ it works as a substitute to OK 

  • syl

    this is great, thansk so much

  • Jdfkjsdgkjsdhgkjsgd

    Followed instructions but “convert to MP3″ option is greyed out (on voice memo). Could you please address this problem?

  • Smithers

    You are Awesome! Just used my 5th Gen Nano to do voice recordings and was able to convert to MP3, used the sort by date idea you told us about to find where in the world the new recording was made (after I followed the instructions to convert to mp3 via the import button I could not find the conversion so I followed the posts to realign my music by date).  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the advice and reader posts. 

  • Trina_cannon

    Create mp3 is greyed out. Pls help.

  • Trina_cannon

    Figured it out

  • http://www.drm-removal-tool.com/tutorials/remove-drm-from-itunes-movie.html itunes drm removal

    I just followed your steps and it works great, thanks very much

  • Jenna

    I had this problem as well, but ‘enter’ did NOT work as a substitute for ‘ok’ for me.  Iphone 4S ?

  • Naimahmadmukif

    thank you very much <3

  • codeDog

    you just saved me a couple of hours
    how can I repay you!

  • Dmhollis75

    THANK YOU!!!!!

  • http://www.webkaper.com/ WEBKAPER

    thank you, I really appreciate this

  • Guest10120209

    worked perfectly, thank you!

  • http://sandrinedeparis.blogspot.com/ Sandrine de Paris

    A million thanks, Adria!
    So helpful!

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