I was trying to export a voice memo as an audio file. I did a google search and watched several videos, all of them simply suggest to drag and drop into a finder folder, and they all seem to get a .m4a file, but when I tried it myself, I get some other .qta crap exported. Is there any way to get the voice memo app to export files in a format that is known to the world (i.e mp3, m4a, wav)? Or is it time to ditch voice memo and find an alternative for it too?
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How do I export voice memos as audio?
- Thread starter MacMan988
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Do you mean a .qt file? It's not "crap" it's just the format they use, and if you tell us what it is we can help you convert it to your desired format.
I'd love to be able to test but alas I cannot record in the voice memos app without a connected mic. Somehow Apple couldn't determine that I had no mic and would spam me with Siri, Dictation, and audio Messages, but they do disable Voice Memos on my mini.
Just right click > Share > Copy > paste into any folder or drag it out and drop into a folder. You will get an .m4a
If you want to convert it to .mp3 you can use any free online mp3 converter
If you want to convert it to .mp3 you can use any free online mp3 converter
All recordings before iOS 26 came out are .m4a, the ones I recorded after I installed iOS 26 (last September) are in .qta.
No, you'll get a .qta file that way too if the original recording was already done in .qta. It won’t convert to .m4a.
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I wondered about that, but even tested with a brand-new recording under macOS 26.2 and it also was .m4a. I didn’t try recording with iOS though, so perhaps that’s the difference.
Can confirm. Those made with macOS Tahoe are still .m4a. Those made with iOS 26 are .qta. No idea what the latter is, can’t find much info on it either.
Never heard of .qta and I've been in video production professionally for 30 years lol
Apparently it’s a new QuickTime audio file format. You need version 26 of any Apple OS for it.
I'm still getting .m4a, recording with iOS 26.2 - exported direct from iPhone to Files, or exported after the recording syncs to my Mac.
I'm using an iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is probably why. According to the User Guide newer model phones can record in "Spatial Audio" which I presume is the .qta format.