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Convert AMR to M4A - Play Voice Recordings Anywhere

Transform old phone recordings into modern M4A audio. Play on any device.

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format
Step 3: Convert files

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Old Voice Recordings Won't Play?

AMR files were the standard for voice recordings on older mobile phones. If you have recordings from an old Nokia, Samsung, or other feature phone, chances are they're in AMR format. The problem? Most modern devices and media players don't recognize AMR files.

Converting to M4A solves this immediately. M4A is Apple's audio format that's now supported across all major platforms-Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android all play M4A files without issues.

How to Convert AMR to M4A

  1. Upload your AMR file - Drag and drop or click to select your voice recording
  2. Confirm M4A output - M4A is selected as your target format
  3. Download your audio - Your recording is now in universally compatible M4A format

The entire process takes seconds. No software installation, no account creation required.

Why Convert AMR to M4A?

AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) was designed for speech compression in mobile networks. It's extremely efficient for voice but has limitations:

  • Limited compatibility - Most modern apps and players don't support AMR
  • Voice-only optimization - AMR was built for speech, not music or general audio
  • Low sample rates - Typically 8kHz, which sounds muffled by today's standards

M4A uses AAC encoding, which preserves voice clarity while adding universal playback support. In our testing, converted files play smoothly on iTunes, VLC, Windows Media Player, and all major streaming platforms.

Common Use Cases

Preserving Old Voicemails

Those voicemails from loved ones saved on your old phone? Convert them to M4A before the device fails completely. M4A files can be backed up to cloud storage and played for years to come.

Sharing Voice Memos

Need to send an AMR recording to someone? Convert to M4A first. Sending an AMR file often results in "cannot open file" errors on the recipient's end.

Audio Archive Projects

If you're digitizing old recordings for archival purposes, M4A offers a good balance of quality and file size while ensuring long-term compatibility.

Quality Considerations

AMR files are inherently low quality-that's by design for voice compression. When converting to M4A, the audio quality won't magically improve, but it won't get worse either. The conversion preserves what's there while adding compatibility.

If you need higher quality and have the option, consider converting AMR to WAV for uncompressed audio, though file sizes will be larger.

Works on All Devices

Our converter runs entirely in your browser:

  • Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
  • iPhone, iPad, Android tablets and phones

No downloads, no plugins, no waiting. Your files stay on your device throughout the conversion process.

Pro Tip

Before converting, check if your old phone has multiple recording folders. Voice memos, call recordings, and downloaded audio might be stored in different locations. Grab them all before the device battery dies permanently.

Common Mistake

Expecting studio-quality audio after conversion. AMR was designed for telephone-quality speech at extremely low bitrates. The conversion makes files playable but cannot enhance the original recording quality.

Best For

Preserving voice recordings from old feature phones, converting voicemails for long-term storage, and making legacy audio files playable on modern smartphones and computers.

Not Recommended

If your goal is highest possible audio quality, convert to WAV instead for an uncompressed version. However, for voice recordings where AMR was the original, M4A provides excellent compatibility without noticeable quality loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) is an audio format developed for speech compression in mobile networks. It was commonly used for voice recordings on older mobile phones, particularly feature phones from Nokia, Samsung, and other manufacturers from the 2000s era.

No, conversion cannot improve the original quality. AMR files are typically recorded at low bitrates (4.75-12.2 kbps) optimized for speech. The conversion preserves this quality while making the file playable on modern devices. The audio will sound the same, just in a more compatible format.

Yes. Windows 10 and 11 natively support M4A playback. Older Windows versions may need iTunes or VLC media player installed. Once converted, your files will play in Windows Media Player, Groove Music, and most other audio applications.

No, they're different formats. M4A uses AAC encoding (part of MPEG-4) while MP3 uses older MPEG-1 Layer 3 compression. M4A generally offers better quality at similar file sizes. Both are widely compatible, but M4A is the default for Apple devices.

Connect your old phone via USB cable and look for a Voice Recordings or Sounds folder. Some phones require enabling USB Mass Storage mode. If the phone won't connect, try removing the memory card and reading it with a card reader on your computer.

Yes. Upload multiple AMR files and convert them all to M4A in a single batch. This is especially useful when archiving an entire collection of voice recordings from an old device.

Yes. M4A is Apple's native audio format and works perfectly in iTunes, Apple Music, and on all Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You can add converted files directly to your iTunes library.

For voice recordings, either works well. M4A offers slightly better quality at the same file size. If you need maximum compatibility with older devices or car stereos, MP3 might be safer. For modern devices, M4A is the better choice.

No. The conversion happens entirely in your browser. Your voice recordings stay on your device and are never uploaded to any server. This ensures privacy for personal recordings like voicemails.

M4A files will be slightly larger than AMR files because M4A uses higher bitrates for better quality. A typical 1-minute AMR voice recording of about 60KB might become 200-400KB as M4A, still very small by modern standards.

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