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Need help?How to Convert M4R to WMA
- Upload Your M4R Ringtone: Drag one or more
.m4rfiles onto the page or click "+ Add Files". All queued files are converted with the same settings. - Choose a Bitrate Under File Compression: Constant Bitrate is the predictable mode, with rates from 24 to 384 kbps. Quality Preset, Variable Bitrate, Custom Bitrate and Specific file size are also available.
- Check Codec, Channel, Sample Rate and Trim: Audio Codec offers WMA v2 and WMA v1; WMA v2 is the better choice unless a decoder demands v1. Set Audio Channel, Audio Sample Rate or Trim if the target device needs mono, a lower rate or a shorter clip.
- Convert and Download: Click Convert and save the
.wma. Files are uploaded over TLS, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours. No sign-up, no watermark.
Who Still Needs a Ringtone in WMA?
An M4R is an iPhone ringtone: AAC-LC audio in an MPEG-4 container, identical in structure to an M4A, with an extension that tells iOS to treat it as a tone. WMA, Windows Media Audio, is Microsoft's lossy codec from 1999, carried in the ASF container. Its natural habitat in 2026 is older hardware and software:
- Windows phones. Windows Mobile handsets and Windows Phone devices (version 7.5 and later allowed custom ringtones) accepted WMA alongside MP3. If you still use one as a backup or a work phone, WMA is a format it was built to play.
- Windows Media Player libraries. Older Windows setups and media centres built around WMA index it cleanly.
- Car stereos and portable players. Many head units and players from the 2000s list WMA among their supported formats, sometimes without AAC.
If the other device is an Android phone, it does not need WMA or M4R — Android ringtones are usually MP3 or OGG, so use M4R to MP3. For feature phones built around GSM, M4R to AMR is often the format they expect.
Be realistic about quality: the ringtone is already lossy AAC, and WMA is lossy too. The conversion trades a small second generation of loss for compatibility. It never improves the sound.
M4R vs WMA
| Property | M4R (input) | WMA (output) |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Apple ringtone extension for MPEG-4 audio | Microsoft, 1999 |
| Container | MPEG-4 | ASF (Advanced Systems Format) |
| Codec | AAC-LC | Windows Media Audio v2 or v1 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
| Channels | Mono or stereo | Up to two |
| Sample rate | Usually 44.1 or 48 kHz | Up to 48 kHz |
| Phones that use it for ringtones | iPhone | Windows Mobile and Windows Phone handsets |
| Best for | Ringing an iPhone | Legacy Windows devices, older car and portable players |
WMA v2 or WMA v1?
Both are the standard WMA codec. WMA v2 is a refinement of the original 1999 bitstream that sounds better at the same bitrate, and practically every WMA-capable device decodes it. WMA v1 is only worth choosing if a specific old decoder rejects v2. WMA Pro, WMA Lossless and WMA Voice are separate codecs that this page does not produce — which is fine, because standard WMA is what older devices support most widely.
How the Bitrate Modes Behave for WMA
- Constant Bitrate writes the rate you pick, from 24 to 384 kbps.
- Variable Bitrate ranges are written as a constant bitrate near the middle of the chosen range, because the standard WMA encoder here has no true variable-bitrate mode. A 96k–128k selection, for example, comes out at about 112 kbps.
- Custom Bitrate lets you type an exact value.
- Specific file size works out a bitrate from the ringtone's length to land near the size you ask for.
- Quality Preset picks the encoding for you when you do not want to think in kbps.
Ringtone Size at Common WMA Bitrates
| Bitrate | 30-second WMA | 15-second WMA | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 kbps | about 120 KB | about 60 KB | Voice tones, very tight storage |
| 64 kbps | about 240 KB | about 120 KB | Phone speakers, simple melodies |
| 96 kbps | about 360 KB | about 180 KB | Most ringtones on a phone speaker |
| 128 kbps | about 480 KB | about 240 KB | Music tones with headroom |
| 192 kbps | about 720 KB | about 360 KB | Playback on a car stereo or headphones |
These are approximations from bitrate × seconds ÷ 8; the container adds a little on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the WMA sound worse than the M4R?
A little, because the audio passes through a second lossy encoder. At 96–128 kbps the extra loss is hard to hear on a phone speaker, which is where a ringtone plays. Converting can never add quality the AAC encode removed.
Can a Windows phone use the WMA as a ringtone?
Windows Mobile and Windows Phone handsets accepted WMA ringtones, as long as the file was not copy-protected. Each model had its own rules about length and size, so check the phone's documentation, and keep tones short.
Should I choose WMA v1 or WMA v2?
WMA v2. It is the better-sounding variant at any bitrate and is supported by virtually every WMA device. Use WMA v1 only when an old decoder specifically refuses v2.
Is the Variable Bitrate option real VBR for WMA?
No. Standard WMA as encoded here has no true VBR mode, so a Variable Bitrate range is written as a constant bitrate around the middle of that range. If you want an exact number, use Constant Bitrate or Custom Bitrate.
Would MP3 be a better choice than WMA?
Usually, yes. Almost every device that plays WMA also plays MP3, and MP3 is far more widely supported elsewhere. Choose WMA only when a device lists WMA but not MP3 or AAC, or when you are filling a WMA-only library.
Can I turn a WMA back into an iPhone ringtone?
Yes, WMA to M4R goes the other way. Keep the result to 30 seconds or less, which is the ringtone length Apple documents.
How are my files handled?
Files are uploaded over an encrypted (TLS) connection, converted on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after processing. No account is required and nothing is watermarked. Other formats for the same tone are listed on the M4R Converter.