M4A to M4R Converter
An M4R ringtone is an M4A file with a different extension and a length limit, so this looks like the easiest conversion there is. It is, until the file is too long, stored as Apple Lossless, or a voice memo that needs its best moment cut out, which is when renaming stops working.
Audio Converter
or drop MP3, WAV, M4A … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Constant bitrate (CBR) gives a predictable size and works on every player. Variable bitrate (VBR) spends bits where the music needs them and is usually smaller at the same quality.
Keep the source rate unless a device asks for one. 44.1 kHz is CD standard, 48 kHz is video standard, 8 kHz is used by phone systems and AMR.
Mono halves the size of lossless files and is fine for voice recordings.
16-bit is CD quality. 24-bit keeps headroom for editing and mastering; converting a 16-bit source up does not add detail.
Optional. Seconds (e.g. 75) or minutes:seconds (1:15). Leave empty to start at the beginning.
Optional. Same format as the start time. Leave empty to keep everything up to the end.
How to use this tool
- 1
Upload the M4A
Add a song from your iTunes library, a voice memo or a GarageBand export. Up to 20 files can be turned into tones at once.
- 2
Choose the moment
End at is preset to 0:30, giving the first 30 seconds. Under Advanced settings, set Start at and End at to another stretch of up to 40 seconds.
- 3
Convert to M4R
Press Convert to M4R (iPhone ringtone). The clip is encoded as 256 kbps AAC with the .m4r extension, ready to copy to the phone.
To make an iPhone ringtone from an M4A, the clip has to be AAC, 40 seconds or shorter, and named .m4r. This page trims, re-encodes and renames in one step.
M4A and M4R: one container, two jobs
Both extensions describe an MPEG-4 audio file. Apple uses .m4a for songs, podcasts and recordings, and .m4r only so that Finder, iTunes and the iPhone know a file belongs under Tones rather than Music. The audio inside a ringtone is ordinary AAC, which is why an M4A is the closest possible starting point.
What trips people up is everything around the extension. Voice memos are often minutes long, CD rips may be lossless, and Windows hides extensions by default, so a file named tone.m4r.m4a looks renamed when it is not. Starting from an MP3 instead? Use MP3 to M4R, which handles the same clip with an extra decoding step.
M4A to M4R converter, renaming or GarageBand
| This converter | Renaming the file | GarageBand on iPhone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuts a long file to tone length | yes | no | yes |
| Works with Apple Lossless M4A | yes | no | yes |
| Longest tone | 40 s | 40 s | 30 s |
| Many tones in one go | Up to 20 | yes | no |
| Needs a computer to install the tone | yes | yes | no |
From voice memo or song to iPhone ringtone
iPhone
- 01In Voice Memos, tap the recording, then the share button
- 02Choose Save to Files or AirDrop it to your computer
- 03After installing the tone, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone
Mac
- 01Drag a memo out of Voice Memos, or a song out of Music, to the desktop
- 02Upload the .m4a here and download the .m4r
- 03Connect the iPhone and drag the .m4r onto it in the Finder sidebar
Windows
- 01Turn on File name extensions in File Explorer's View menu
- 02Convert the .m4a here
- 03In iTunes, drag the .m4r onto Tones under On My Device
Before you convert
- Pick a moment that starts on a clear sound, not silence
- Stay at or under 40 seconds
- Voice memos and iTunes purchases convert fine
- Apple Music downloads are protected and cannot be used
- Keep Normalise volume off for music, on for quiet memos
- The original M4A stays untouched on your device
M4A and M4R format facts
M4A
MPEG-4 audio (M4A)
M4A is an audio-only MPEG-4 file, popularised by Apple's iTunes. It usually contains lossy AAC audio, but it can also hold lossless ALAC. AAC in M4A generally sounds better than MP3 at the same bitrate, and the format is used for iPhone voice memos, Apple Music downloads and many podcasts. Most modern devices play M4A, but some older players, car stereos and web tools only accept MP3.
- Compression
- Lossy or lossless
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- Apple / MPEG
M4R
iPhone ringtone
M4R is the file extension Apple uses for iPhone ringtones and alert tones. It is an M4A file containing AAC audio, renamed so iTunes, Finder and the iPhone treat it as a ringtone. Ringtones are usually limited to 40 seconds. Apart from the extension and length, it is identical to a normal M4A file.
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- Apple
M4A and M4R hold the same AAC audio, but the iPhone only offers a sound as a ringtone when it carries the .m4r extension, lasts no more than 40 seconds and is AAC rather than Apple Lossless; converting fixes all three at once.
M4A to M4R: ringtone questions
Can I rename an M4A to M4R without converting?
Sometimes. If the M4A holds AAC audio and is already 40 seconds or shorter, changing the extension to .m4r is enough. A longer file, an Apple Lossless file or a file whose extension Finder or Windows hides will not show up as a tone, and converting here handles all three.
Can a voice memo become my ringtone?
Yes. Voice Memos saves recordings as .m4a, so a recording of a child's laugh or a friend's message makes a personal tone. On a Mac, drag the memo out of the Voice Memos app to get the file; on an iPhone, share it to Files or AirDrop it to a computer, then upload it here. For a memo you want to send rather than ring with, M4A to MP3 makes a file any phone plays.
Why doesn't my Apple Lossless M4A work as a ringtone?
The iPhone expects AAC inside an .m4r. A CD track ripped with the Apple Lossless setting is ALAC, so even after renaming it never appears in the ringtone list. This page decodes the lossless audio and encodes the clip as AAC.
Can I make a ringtone from a song I bought on iTunes?
Yes. iTunes Store music has been sold without copy protection since 2009, as 256 kbps AAC .m4a files, so it converts like any other M4A. Songs saved for offline listening from an Apple Music subscription are protected and cannot be used.
How do I give one contact its own ringtone?
Copy the .m4r to the iPhone first, then open the contact in the Phone or Contacts app, tap Edit, then Ringtone, and pick the new tone at the top of the list. Each contact can have a different tone, and text messages can have their own as well.
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