Question: iOS seems to refuse to allow me to email "long" voice memos, and I'm unaware of any way to extract them from iTunes backups of my phone. How can I retrieve entire voice memos that aren't really short?

Answer: 
[This answer](https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/44914/5472) by [jmlumpkin](https://apple.stackexchange.com/users/181/jmlumpkin) is canonically correct, all existing memos sync over to a special "Voice Memos" playlist in iTunes. However, if you like to record voice memos that you will retrieve later on your computer, my suggestion would be to check out [DropVox](http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/dropvox/). Instead of having to go through iTunes, DropVox uploads your recordings to your DropBox folder as soon as you finish recording, which for me is far more convenient than syncing and dealing with iTunes. Personally, I have completely dropped Voice Memos and now completely use DropVox for everything.

![](https://i.imgur.com/ELpX3.png) ![](https://i.imgur.com/u1Qb7.png)

Another avenue to avoid iTunes but still use the Voice Memo app is to use a software package like [PhoneView](http://www.ecamm.com/mac/phoneview/) to grab your existing memos directly from the device.
First, you don't need to download any software. 

Visit [this article](http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/6403/iphone-transfer-voice-memos-from-iphone-to-computer/), which explains how to transfer the memo to iTunes.

> 
> 1. Dock your iPhone via USB
> 2. Click the name of your iPhone under Devices in the left column
> 3. Click the Music tab
> 4. Click the checkbox for Include voice memos
> 5. Sync your device
> 6. Your files will appear under a new Voice Memos playlist
> 
> 
> 

Then, if you want to have it play on Apple Tv or hear it from your phone and it still doesn't work, there is another trick.

Go into iTunes, hold the `Ctrl` button and click on the song/memo you've imported. Choose the "Create an AAC Version" option. It will make a copy of the song above or below the original in iTunes. Then you can play this on Apple TV or off your phone like a regular song.