M4V to M4R Ringtone Converter

Convert M4V to M4R: Ringtone Audio from an Apple Video File

M4V is Apple's video variant of the MPEG-4 container. It is the format the iTunes Store uses for movies, TV episodes and music videos, and the extension appears on files from Apple's own video tools and from encoders such as HandBrake, which can name its MP4 output .m4v. The soundtrack inside is almost always AAC. To turn part of it into an iPhone ringtone you need an M4R, AAC audio in an MPEG-4 container with the .m4r extension, holding no more than 30 seconds of sound. This page extracts the audio, drops the video, trims the clip and writes the M4R.

The one limit to know first: DRM-protected M4V files cannot be converted. That covers most movies and TV episodes bought or rented from the iTunes Store. DRM-free M4V files convert normally.

How to Convert M4V to M4R

1. Upload Your M4V File: Drag the .m4v onto the page or click "+ Add Files". .mp4 files are accepted as well, and several videos can be queued with the same settings.
2. Choose the Audio Quality: AAC is the only codec for M4R. Under File Compression, pick Constant Bitrate (8-384 kbps), one of the five Variable Bitrate bands (20k-32k up to 96k-112k), or a Custom Bitrate; Quality Preset leaves the exact rate to the encoder. 192-256 kbps suits music and film soundtracks.
3. Trim to 30 Seconds or Less: Switch Trim from Unchanged and enter a Start time and a Duration, in seconds or HH:MM:SS.sss. Apple says iPhone ringtones can be up to 30 seconds long, and the note under Duration says so. Set Audio Channel to Stereo if the soundtrack is surround.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert and save the .m4r. The file is uploaded over TLS, processed on our servers and deleted automatically after a few hours. Free, no sign-up, no watermark.

Which M4V Files Will Convert

If a file will not convert and plays only in the Apple TV app or iTunes, protection is almost certainly the reason. No setting on this page changes that.

What the Conversion Does

The video track is discarded. The audio track is decoded and encoded as a fresh AAC-LC stream at the bitrate you choose, so even an AAC soundtrack is re-encoded rather than copied; choose a bitrate at or above the source's. The output is a standard MPEG-4 audio file that ffprobe reports as AAC LC with the major brand M4A . M4R and M4A are the same kind of file, and the .m4r extension is what makes the iPhone treat it as a ringtone. For a regular audio file instead, use M4V to M4A.

Two details specific to M4V files:

• Surround soundtracks. Film and TV soundtracks may be 5.1. A phone speaker plays stereo at most, so set Audio Channel to Stereo to fold the mix down.
• More than one audio track. HandBrake encodes and store downloads can carry several audio tracks, such as two languages, or a stereo and a surround version. One track is converted, so listen to the result before syncing it.

M4V vs M4R at a Glance

Sizes follow AAC bitrate in kbps multiplied by seconds and divided by 8.

Getting the Tone onto Your iPhone

The usual routes: on a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, connect the iPhone, select it in the Finder sidebar and drag the .m4r onto it; on Windows, add it with iTunes; or, on the iPhone itself, save it to Files, import it into GarageBand and choose Share > Ringtone, the route Apple documents for audio that is not DRM-protected. Then choose it in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone, or for one caller under Contacts > the person > Edit > Ringtone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a ringtone from a movie I bought on iTunes?

Usually not. iTunes Store movies, TV episodes and rentals are typically protected with FairPlay DRM, which encrypts the audio and video so they play only on authorised devices. No converter here can read them, and the conversion will not succeed.

Is the audio copied out of the M4V or re-encoded?

Re-encoded. The soundtrack is decoded and a new AAC stream is written at the bitrate you choose, which is also what allows trimming. At or above the source's bitrate the difference is inaudible on a phone.

How long can the ringtone be?

Apple's support article says ringtones can be up to 30 seconds long, and GarageBand shortens longer ones automatically when exporting. A 40-second figure is widely quoted from the iTunes era, but it is not in Apple's current documentation, so use 30 seconds or less.

My M4V has a 5.1 soundtrack. What happens to it?

With Audio Channel on Original, the encoder keeps the source layout where it can, which is more than a phone speaker uses. Choose Stereo to fold it down to two channels; dialogue and music come through as they would on a TV's stereo speakers.

The result plays the wrong language. Can I choose the track?

Not on this page. When a file has several audio tracks, one is converted. If it is the wrong one, export a version with only the track you want from the tool that made the file, then convert that.

Is M4V the same as MP4?

Nearly. Both use the MPEG-4 container; M4V is the name Apple uses for its video files, and it is the form iTunes Store video is delivered in. Unprotected M4V files behave just like MP4s here, and this page accepts .mp4 files as well. For MP4 videos there is also a dedicated MP4 to M4R page.

What should Android users do?

Android does not use M4R; ringtones are usually MP3 or OGG, so use M4V to MP3. Other source formats are on the M4R converter.

What happens to my file after conversion?

It is uploaded over an encrypted (TLS) connection, converted on our servers and deleted automatically after a few hours. Nothing is shared or published.