# Download the original audio

> Get the audio file behind any recording — Export… then Audio file on iOS and Android, Download audio on the web. Works even before transcription.

Updated: 2026-08-16 · Canonical: https://usecanto.com/help/export/download-audio/

You can download the audio behind any recording as a standard file. This is the recording as it was uploaded to your library — the same audio the transcript was made from — so nothing is lost by keeping your notes in Canto.

## On iOS

1. Open the recording and tap the **⋯** menu.
2. Choose **Export…**, then **Audio file**.
3. The share sheet opens with an `.m4a` file named after the recording — save it to Files, AirDrop it, or send it to another app.

## On Android

1. Open the recording and tap the menu.
2. Choose **Export…**, then **Audio file**.
3. Share or save the file through the Android share sheet.

## On the web

1. Open the recording and click the **⋯** menu.
2. Choose **Download audio**.

The file downloads named after the recording, with the extension matching its format (typically `.m4a`).

## What format is the audio in?

Recordings made with Canto are stored as AAC audio in an `.m4a` container — mono, tuned for speech, at roughly 14 MB per hour. That's the file you get: it plays in every mainstream player and imports into editing tools. Audio you imported into Canto is kept in its uploaded form, so what you download matches what you put in — see [Import audio files](https://usecanto.com/help/recording/import-audio-web/).

Canto does not convert between formats on export; if you need WAV or MP3, run the downloaded file through a converter.

## Can I download audio the transcript couldn't be made from?

Yes. The audio download doesn't depend on transcription:

- A recording whose transcription **Failed** still plays and downloads normally — useful if you want the audio somewhere else while you [retry the transcription](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/retry-transcription/).
- A **Locked** or **Not transcribed** recording on the free plan keeps its audio available too; it's the transcript that's gated, not the audio. See [Why is my recording locked or not transcribed?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/locked-recordings/)

The one thing you can't download is audio that never finished uploading — until a recording leaves the **Uploading** state, the file only exists on the device that recorded it.

## Who can download the audio?

Anyone who can play the recording: you, and members of a Space it's shared in. Viewers of a public share link can listen to the audio in the browser as part of the shared page — see [Share a recording with a link](https://usecanto.com/help/sharing/share-a-recording-link/). If you'd rather not share the raw audio at all, export the transcript instead — see [Export a recording as PDF or Markdown](https://usecanto.com/help/export/export-pdf-markdown/).

Related articles:

- [Export a recording as PDF or Markdown](https://usecanto.com/help/export/export-pdf-markdown/)
- [Copy transcripts and summaries](https://usecanto.com/help/export/copy-content/)
- [Why is my recording locked or not transcribed?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/locked-recordings/)