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Common fix · Audio

Open AMR voice recordings

By Updated How we write these

1 min read

What you’ll end up with

Old phone recordings as MP3 files that play anywhere.

AMR is a speech codec designed for mobile networks. Older phones, voice recorder apps and many call-recording apps save in it, because it keeps speech intelligible in a tiny file. Windows Media Player, iTunes and most modern apps won’t open it.

Converting to MP3 makes the recordings playable anywhere. AMR files are small, so even hundreds convert quickly.

What to do

  1. Convert AMR to MP3

    Drop the AMR files into the audio converter and choose MP3. AMR is read with the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download, then it works offline. Choose 64 kbps: AMR holds phone-quality speech, and a higher bitrate only makes the file bigger.

    Convert to MP3

  2. Make quiet recordings louder

    Phone and call recordings are often faint. Normalizing brings them up to a comfortable, even level.

    Normalize the volume

Questions

What is an AMR file?

Audio recorded with the Adaptive Multi-Rate codec, built for speech on mobile phones. AMR-NB sounds like a phone call; AMR-WB (“HD voice”) is clearer. Both convert to MP3 the same way.

Why does the converted MP3 still sound like a phone call?

Because the recording does. AMR keeps only the frequencies of speech; converting can’t restore what wasn’t recorded, but the MP3 will sound exactly like the original.

Can I convert AMR on my phone?

Yes, in the phone’s browser. The first conversion downloads the engine once; after that it works even offline.

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