Can you export a recording as MP3?
MP3 files import and play here without any trouble. What iOS does not include is an MP3 encoder, so nothing on an iPhone — this app or any other — can write a new MP3 without shipping a licensed encoder of its own or sending your audio to a server.
What you get instead
- M4A (AAC) — the modern equivalent. Smaller than MP3 at the same quality, and played by every phone, computer and browser made this century.
- WAV — uncompressed, read by every audio editor.
- Both attach to email, upload to any platform, and open on Windows and Android.
When MP3 is genuinely required
- Share the M4A to a computer — AirDrop, Files or a cloud drive.
- Convert it there with a desktop tool such as Audacity, iTunes or ffmpeg.
- Or check whether the service really needs MP3. Most podcast hosts, learning platforms and transcription services accept M4A directly.
Why we don't claim it
A recorder that lists MP3 export and then hands you an M4A wastes your time at the worst possible moment. The app records in the formats iOS can actually write, and says so.
FAQ
- Can I play MP3 files in the app?
- Yes — import them and they play, transcribe and edit like anything else.
- Is M4A worse than MP3?
- No. At the same bitrate AAC is better, which is why streaming services use it.
- Does compressing produce an MP3?
- No. Compress re-encodes to a smaller M4A.
Record it properly next time
Voice Recorder — Novaz records meetings, lectures and ideas in M4A or WAV, marks the moments that matter, trims and merges, and turns speech into searchable text — all on your iPhone.
Download on the App Store