Guide · Voice Memos
What is a voice memo?
A voice memo is a short audio recording you make on a phone or computer, usually with a built-in app such as Apple's Voice Memos. People use them to catch ideas, notes, lectures and rough song ideas. It is saved as an audio file on your device, unlike a voice message, which is recorded to be sent to someone.
Updated 20 Oct 2026
What a voice memo is
A voice memo is a recording made for yourself. You open the recording app, press record, speak or play, and press stop. The audio is saved on your device as a file you can play back, rename, edit and share. On iPhone the built-in app is called Voice Memos.
Voice memo, voice note or voice message?
| Term | Usually means |
|---|---|
| Voice memo | A recording kept on your device, often for yourself |
| Voice note | Often the same thing, or a recording sent in a chat app |
| Voice message | A recording recorded inside a messaging app to send to someone |
The words overlap, and apps use them in different ways.
What people use voice memos for
- Catching ideas before they are lost.
- Notes during a drive or a walk.
- Recording a lecture, meeting or rehearsal (ask permission before recording other people).
- Songwriters: melodies, riffs, lyric lines and rough demos.
How songwriters use them
Many songs start as a voice memo of a melody hummed into a phone. The trouble is the pile: hundreds of recordings called New Recording. See how to record a voice memo, how to organise your voice memos and where voice memos are stored.
Voice memos and songdrafts
songdrafts does not record voice memos. It is a board for the ones you already have: bring them in, sort them into songs, and stack every take of a song on one card. See the voice memo organizer.
Common questions
What is a voice memo?
A short audio recording made on a phone or computer, usually with a built-in app such as Voice Memos.
What is the difference between a voice memo and a voice note?
The words overlap. A voice memo is usually kept on your device; a voice note is often the same, or a recording sent in a chat app.
Are voice memos private?
They are saved on your device, and in your iCloud if you turn syncing on. They are shared only if you share them.
How long can a voice memo be?
It depends mainly on the free space on your device. See the Voice Memos questions guide.
Can I turn a voice memo into a song?
Yes. Many songs start that way. Sort the recordings, find the idea and finish it.
Want this done for you? songdrafts is a board for your voice memos: every take stacked on one card, songs that move across stages, merging half songs, and one share link with comments pinned to the second. Works offline, and nothing you upload trains AI. What is songdrafts?