EarMemoListen to what you already own.
Play your own MP3 and M4B audiobooks, lectures, and recordings on iPhone. EarMemo remembers your place and anchors notes to the exact second — a press on your AirPods is enough to mark one. Playback needs no account or internet connection.
No subscription · One-time Pro unlock
Why EarMemo
Every other player fights for your attention.
EarMemo does the opposite.
No recommendation feed, no autoplay into the next episode, no list you can never finish. EarMemo keeps the long things you've downloaded — the ones nobody else organizes for you — quietly in one place. Stop on the sentence you want to keep; come back tomorrow, and you're still on it.
Notes
Notes that jump back
Hear something worth keeping? Tap once and keep listening — write the line now or later. Every note is anchored to a timestamp marker — tap it later and you scrub straight back to that second. What you heard finally stays.
Press Mark while it plays. Tap a timestamp to jump back to it.
- Timestamped notes — one tap jumps to the line
- Grouped by album and episode — and by chapter in audiobooks
- Export notes as Markdown with a one-time Pro unlock
Headphones
Mark it without taking out your phone
Phone in your pocket, hands busy, and the line you want is going by. Press your AirPods twice: a short chime, and that second is saved — two seconds early, so it catches the start of the sentence. The words can come later.
- Set it once. Settings → Headphone Controls → Next: Bookmark Here
- Press twice on AirPods Pro (three times if you set Previous)
- Hear the chime. The mark is in your notes.
- Every press is its own mark — unlimited, free version included
- Car steering-wheel buttons follow the same setting
Your library
Everything you're listening to, in one place
One screen for the few things you're in the middle of. Each one remembers its progress and what's left — press it and you're back, no hunting, no "where was I?"
- Continue Listening resumes to the exact second
- Files group into albums you can browse and reorder
- A "today's listening" figure right at the top
Audiobooks
Listen by chapter, and still see the whole book
Books with built-in chapters — M4B and more — open to their table of contents. The progress bar follows the chapter you're in, with the whole book's time left above it; switch the bar to the whole book whenever you like. Your notes know their chapter too.
- Table of contents; Previous and Next skip by chapter, on headphones and in the car too
- Notes grouped by chapter; Markdown export (Pro) writes both the chapter and the book time
- Sleep timer that stops at the end of the chapter
Listening history
See your whole year of listening
Today, this week, this year — EarMemo counts every minute you spend on long-form audio. Not to compete with anyone; just to turn "I feel like I'm always listening" into a number you can actually see.
- A yearly heatmap — a year of listening at a glance
- Daily, weekly, monthly + cumulative hours
- All on-device — never uploaded, never analyzed
Import
Get your files in, fast
Open a web address on your computer and drag audio straight into EarMemo over local Wi-Fi — no cable, no cloud. Or send files in from Messages, Mail, and Files with the iOS Share Sheet.
- Wi-Fi transfer from any browser — no cable or cloud
- Share Sheet from Messages, Mail, Files
- mp3 · m4a · m4b · flac · aac · wav, plus mp4 / mov audio-only
Everything else you'd want
Sleep timer
Live Activity countdown on the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen.
Background & Lock Screen
Full transport controls from Control Center and the Lock Screen.
Variable speed
Speed up or slow down without the audio turning to chipmunks.
Siri & Shortcuts
Play, pause, skip, or bookmark the moment by voice.
Share Sheet import
Send files in from Messages, Mail, Files, or any app with a share action.
Wide format support
mp3 · m4a · m4b · flac · aac · wav, plus mp4 / mov / m4v played audio-only. M4B chapters are read too.
Privacy
Private by architecture, not by promise
EarMemo has no app server. Settings, playback progress, notes, bookmarks, and statistics stay on your device and in your own iCloud backup if enabled. Optional Wi-Fi transfer stays on your local network; Apple StoreKit handles purchases.
Read the full privacy policy →- No data collection
- No third-party SDKs
- No ads, no tracking
- No account, no sign-in
Pricing
Free to download. One-time purchase to unlock everything.
Download free and listen at your own pace: listen to 1 album at a time; try 10 audio tracks total across album episodes and standalone tracks; add unlimited timestamp markers and write on 5 of them. Every import and playback tool is included. When it fits, a single one-time purchase unlocks everything. No subscription, no ads.
FAQ
What is EarMemo?
EarMemo is a local-first audio player for iOS, designed for long-form listening: podcasts, audiobooks, lectures, and voice recordings. All of your data — settings, playback progress, bookmarks, notes, and listening statistics — stays on your device. EarMemo has no server of its own, uploads nothing to the developer, and does not require an account.
Is EarMemo related to the AI study app with a similar name?
No. EarMemo is an offline audio player for iPhone and iPad, made by Fan YANG, for podcasts, audiobooks, lectures, and voice recordings you already own. It is a separate, unaffiliated product from any similarly named AI study, flashcard, or memorization service. EarMemo has no AI features, account, or app server.
How is EarMemo different from Apple Podcasts or Spotify?
EarMemo plays local audio files you already own — podcasts you've downloaded, audiobooks, lecture recordings, voice memos. It does not stream from a catalog, does not have a subscription, and does not require an account. It is designed for people who want one focused tool for long-form listening from files they control.
Does EarMemo work offline?
Yes. Playback, statistics, and notes work without an internet connection, including in airplane mode. Optional Wi-Fi file transfer needs Wi-Fi switched on and a local network.
Can I bookmark with my AirPods or other headphones?
Yes. In Settings → Headphone Controls, set Next or Previous to Bookmark Here. Pressing twice (Next) or three times (Previous) on AirPods Pro then marks the current second with a short chime, without taking out your phone. Other headphones use whichever button sends Next or Previous track, and car steering-wheel buttons follow the same setting. Marks are unlimited in the free version.
Which audio and video formats does EarMemo support?
EarMemo supports common audio formats including mp3, m4a, m4b (the standard audiobook container), aac, flac, and wav. Video files (mp4, mov, m4v) are played audio-only, so you can listen to the soundtrack of a video without watching it. DRM-protected purchases from Apple Books or Audible cannot be imported.
Does EarMemo support M4B chapters?
Yes. For M4B and other audiobooks with embedded chapters, EarMemo shows the table of contents, Previous and Next skip by chapter, and the progress bar shows the current chapter or the whole book — your choice — with the whole book's time left at the top. Notes are grouped by chapter, and the sleep timer can stop at the end of a chapter.
Does EarMemo collect any data?
No. EarMemo does not collect any user data. There are no third-party SDKs, no analytics, no advertising, and no tracking. All data stays on your device and follows your own iCloud backup if you have iCloud enabled.
Does EarMemo work on iPad?
Yes. EarMemo is a universal iOS app that runs on both iPhone and iPad, with a split-view layout adapted for the larger iPad screen.
Can EarMemo import files from other apps?
Yes. EarMemo integrates with the iOS Share Sheet, so you can send audio or video files into EarMemo from Messages, Mail, Files, or any app that exposes a share action for media files.
Is the free version a trial?
The free allowance never expires: listen to 1 album at a time; try 10 audio tracks total across album episodes and standalone tracks; add unlimited timestamp markers and write on 5 of them. Every import and playback tool remains available. Anything beyond the quota stays visible and deletable — it is only locked for playback until a one-time purchase of EarMemo Pro unlocks it.
I bought EarMemo when it was a paid download. Do I pay again?
No. Update to the latest version and EarMemo Pro unlocks automatically — no action needed, no second payment.
Your library, finally in one focused player.
Further reading
- Remember what you hear in audiobooksMark the moment, keep listening, add your own words later — without turning a book into homework.
- Play M4B and MP3 audiobooks you already ownWhich files are playable, four ways to get them on the phone, and where another player suits you better.
- Take timestamped notes, export as MarkdownNotes anchored to the exact second, and how this differs from transcription apps.
- Transfer audio to iPhone without iTunesWi-Fi browser transfer, the Files app, the Share Sheet — and when to use which.
- No account, no server, no trackingWhat local-first means here, and three ways to verify it yourself.