Cubase - no m4a support - only DAW that can’t work seamlessly with iPhone

Cubase
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In modern music production, many musicians and songwriters capture ideas on mobile devices using apps like Apple Voice Memos, which records in M4A (AAC) format.

Currently, Cubase cannot import M4A files directly, requiring users to convert them to WAV or MP3 before use. This extra step slows down the creative process, especially when working under tight deadlines or in collaborative sessions.

Adding native M4A import support would:

  • Eliminate time‑consuming format conversions.
  • Allow direct drag‑and‑drop from iPhones, iPads, and other devices into Cubase.
  • Improve compatibility with collaborators who send M4A files.
  • Align Cubase with other major DAWs (Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Pro Tools) that already support M4A.

Real‑world workflow impact: I often capture melodies, lyrics, or sound ideas away from the studio on my iPhone using Voice Memos. These recordings are synced via iCloud to my MacBook Pro and iPad. I also use a Zoom H5 to record ideas if that is at hand and these recordings are dropped into a dropbox folder which is indexed by Cubase MediaBay so I can browse, audition and drag ideas and samples from the H5 into any project, quickly and easily.

The problem is that every Voice Memo arrives as an M4A file, which Cubase cannot preview or import. This forces me to batch‑convert files before I can even audition them in MediaBay — breaking the flow when I’m in a writing session and want to quickly pull up a spark of inspiration.

In fact, if an idea starts life as a Voice Memo, I currently go to Logic Pro first — because Logic can handle M4A instantly — and only later move the work into Cubase if needed. I often finish the project in Logic if it has started there. This is purely a format limitation, not a creative choice, and it means Cubase is missing the chance to be my first stop for every idea, which it would be if it supported M4A-files.

If Cubase could natively read M4A, I could drop or preview an idea straight from my synced MediaBay folder into a project without touching a converter or switching DAWs. This would save time, preserve spontaneity, and make Cubase a more seamless creative hub for the vast number of users who rely on mobile devices for idea capture.

Thank you for considering this — it’s a small technical change with a huge workflow benefit for modern producers and songwriters.

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Meanwhile, you could try one of the recording apps that support Wav recording.

I use “Just Press Record” for example, which records to WAV, AIFF or AAC. And let’s you choose sample rate, bit depth, iCloud storage etc.

2 Likes
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That is true. I’ve tried many of them but not that one. I’ll have a look.

Most (All?) of them seem to have quirks that e.g. don’t record in mp3 which can be good if you just wanna turn on recording during a session to make sure you don’t miss any happy accidents. No need for wave then. Or they want a subscription. I’m ok paying for apps but a subscription for something as simple as a voice recorder? And still they don’t give you the freedom to record in any format, automatically sync to the cloud of your choice or just have horrendous UX.

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Hence my suggestion. It’s not a subscription. It just gets the job done.

But hey I’m not selling you the app. It’s just the one I use.

Check it out, or not. It’s up to you.

1 Like
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Yeah, I’ve tried it out. It beats converting m4a-files from VM for sure, but why can’t it record in mp3? It would be really useful for recording full sessions. But I guess I continue using the Zoom H5 for that. And why only saving to iCloud automatically. Why not all big cloud services. And the name… Not for you to answer for sure.

Thanks for the tip. But m4a support in Cubase would still be much preferred and solve so many issues, especially for creative workflows. We send our collaborators VM-files all the time. And having to convert them just to be able to try them in a track is a pita.