M4A to M4R Converter

How to Convert M4A to M4R Online

1. Upload Your M4A: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to add an M4A from Voice Memos, an iTunes purchase, a GarageBand export or an Android recorder. Batch upload is supported, and the page works in Safari on an iPhone.
2. Trim to 30 Seconds or Less: In Advanced Options, open Trim. Enter the Start time (seconds such as 5.5, or HH:MM:SS.sss) and a Duration of 30 seconds or less. The note under Duration repeats Apple's guidance that iPhone ringtones can be up to 30 seconds long.
3. Adjust AAC Settings (Optional): AAC is the only Audio Codec for M4R. File Compression offers a Quality Preset, Constant Bitrate (8-384 kbps), Variable Bitrate (five AAC bands, 20k-32k up to 96k-112k), Custom Bitrate or a target file size. Audio Channel (Original, Mono, Stereo) and Audio Sample Rate are also available.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert". The M4A is uploaded over HTTPS, processed on xconvert's servers and deleted automatically after a few hours. Download the .m4r: no sign-up, no watermark.

Why Convert M4A to M4R?

M4A and M4R are close relatives. An M4R is AAC audio (AAC-LC) in an MPEG-4 container with the .m4r extension, and an M4A is usually AAC in exactly the same container. The extension is the difference that matters to Apple: .m4r tells iOS, the Finder and iTunes that the file is a ringtone, while .m4a says it is a song. xconvert even writes both with the same muxer, ffmpeg's ipod MPEG-4 muxer, and ffprobe shows AAC LC with major brand M4A in both.

So, honestly: if your M4A is already a short AAC clip, renaming .m4a to .m4r often works. Converting here is worth it when the file needs more than a new extension:

• It is longer than 30 seconds. Apple Support says ringtones can be up to 30 seconds long. A 4-minute song or a 10-minute Voice Memo needs trimming anyway, and this page trims and converts in one step.
• It holds Apple Lossless (ALAC), not AAC. M4A can also carry ALAC, for example a Voice Memo recorded with the Lossless audio quality setting or a lossless library rip. An M4R is AAC, so an ALAC file needs a real encode, not a rename.
• The rename keeps failing. Windows hides known file extensions unless you switch that off, so "renaming" often produces tone.m4r.m4a. Downloading a real .m4r avoids that.
• You want a smaller or mono file. Bitrate, channels and sample rate are adjustable here.

The trade-off: renaming is lossless, while converting decodes and encodes the AAC again, a second lossy generation. At a bitrate equal to or above the source, that is very hard to hear on a phone speaker.

To shorten an M4A but keep it as a regular song file, use Trim M4A. To go back from a tone, M4R to M4A does the reverse.

M4A vs M4R: Format Comparison

Rename or Convert? A Quick Guide

How to Set It as Your Ringtone on iPhone

The usual routes to get the .m4r onto the phone:

• Mac (macOS Catalina or later): connect the iPhone, select it in the Finder sidebar and drag the .m4r onto it.
• Windows: connect the iPhone and add the tone with iTunes.
• iPhone only: save the .m4r to Files, import it into GarageBand on the iPhone, then Share > Ringtone, the route Apple documents. The audio must not be DRM-protected; GarageBand shortens a ringtone over 30 seconds automatically, and the export can be used as a Standard Ringtone or Standard Text Tone (GarageBand for iPhone User Guide).

Then choose it in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone (iPhone User Guide). For a single contact: Contacts > the person > Edit > Ringtone or Text Tone.

Ringtone for Android?

Android does not need M4R. Most Android phones play M4A, but ringtones are usually MP3 or OGG, so M4A to MP3 is the safest choice for an Android tone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is M4R just a renamed M4A?

Essentially, yes, when the M4A contains AAC. Both are AAC in an MPEG-4 container; the .m4r extension is what makes Apple software treat the file as a ringtone. That is why renaming often works for short AAC clips, and why an ALAC M4A or a long recording needs a real conversion.

Then why convert instead of renaming?

Because conversion also trims the clip to 30 seconds or less, encodes ALAC files to AAC, and gives you a file whose extension is definitely .m4r. If your M4A is a short AAC clip and the rename works, there is nothing wrong with renaming.

Can I turn a Voice Memo into a ringtone?

Yes. Share the memo to Files (or AirDrop it to a Mac), upload the M4A here, trim the part you want to 30 seconds or less and convert. Mono at 64-96 kbps is plenty for speech.

Can I use a song bought from the iTunes Store?

iTunes Store music has been sold DRM-free since 2009, and those M4A files convert normally. Apple Music downloads and older .m4p purchases are DRM-protected and cannot be converted; Apple also notes that the GarageBand route needs audio that is not DRM-protected.

How long can an iPhone ringtone be?

Apple says ringtones can be up to 30 seconds long. A 40-second limit from the iTunes era is still quoted online, but it is not in Apple's current documentation, so stick to 30 seconds.

Will converting change the sound quality?

Slightly, in theory: the AAC is decoded and encoded again. With a bitrate at or above the source, the difference is very hard to hear on a phone. Renaming a short AAC M4A is the lossless alternative.

Are my files kept on your servers?

Only briefly. Files are uploaded over TLS (HTTPS), processed on xconvert's servers and deleted automatically after a few hours. No account is needed.