Where Does Sound Recorder Save Recordings?
Sound Recorder saves .m4a files to a Sound Recordings folder inside Documents, with a right click shortcut to it.
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The Windows 11 Sound Recorder autosaves every recording as an .m4a file in a Sound Recordings folder inside Documents. There is no save dialog and no format choice, which keeps the app simple and hides the location from anyone expecting a prompt.
The fastest route is inside the app. Right click any recording and choose Show in folder to jump straight there. Older Windows 8 era installs buried files in the app's Packages container instead, so upgrade era guides pointing at AppData describe a layout this app no longer uses.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Sound Recordings
One file per recording in .m4a format. If Documents is redirected to OneDrive, the same relative folder appears under the synced Documents instead. Use Show in folder from the app when the two disagree.
Frequently asked questions
can sound recorder save as mp3 or wav
No. Sound Recorder always saves .m4a with no format picker. Convert afterwards with any audio converter if you need wav or mp3 for editing tools.
my recording is not in the folder
Search the PC for *.m4a sorted by date first. If Documents syncs to OneDrive, also check the OneDrive Documents copy and the app's own recordings list, which can still play files whose folder moved.
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