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Need help?Convert M4R Ringtones to Any Audio Format
M4R is the file type iPhone uses for custom ringtones. Under the extension it is ordinary AAC (AAC-LC) audio in an MPEG-4 container, the same container and codec as an M4A music file; the .m4r ending is what tells iOS, the Finder and iTunes that the file is a tone rather than a song. That label is useful on an iPhone and a nuisance almost everywhere else. Android phones expect MP3 or OGG ringtones, many audio editors and upload forms filter by extension and skip .m4r, and older players never learned it. This converter decodes the AAC inside your M4R and re-encodes it to MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, AAC, M4A, Opus, M4B and other formats. Files are uploaded over an encrypted (TLS) connection, converted on xconvert's servers and deleted automatically after a few hours. It is free, needs no sign-up, adds no watermark, takes several files at once and works in mobile browsers as well as on a desktop.
How to Convert an M4R File
- Upload your M4R: Drag one or more
.m4rfiles onto the page or click the upload button to pick them. Batch upload is supported, so a folder of ringtones can go through with the same settings. - Choose the output format: Open the "Audio File Extension" list and pick the target. MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, AAC, M4A, Opus and M4B are the common ones; AIFF, AIF, AIFC, AU, AMR, AC3, WMA, WEBA, OGA and M4R itself are there as well.
- Adjust the audio (optional): In the advanced options, File Compression controls lossy outputs with a Quality Preset (Highest down to Lowest), Constant Bitrate, Variable Bitrate, a Custom Bitrate in kbps, or a specific target file size. You can also set Audio Channel (Original, Mono or Stereo), Audio Sample Rate (Original or a fixed rate from 8000 Hz to 48000 Hz), the Audio Codec where the container allows more than one, and Trim with a start time and a duration.
- Convert and download: Click Convert. Each file is processed on our servers, and the download card shows the values actually used, which matters when a channel or sample-rate choice had to be adjusted to fit the bitrate you picked.
Popular M4R Conversions
- M4R to MP3: the universal choice, and the easiest way to use an iPhone ringtone on an Android phone
- M4R to WAV: uncompressed PCM for editing the tone in a DAW or a video editor
- M4R to OGG: the format Android's stock ringtones and notification sounds use, also common in games
- M4R to M4A: the same AAC audio with a music extension, for tools that ignore
.m4r - M4R to FLAC: a lossless copy of the decoded tone for an archive or an editing chain
- M4R to Opus: the smallest files at low bitrates
M4R Output Formats Compared
Every lossy output on this page is a second lossy encode. The AAC in an M4R already discarded some detail when the ringtone was made; another lossy pass removes a little more, and a lossless target such as WAV or FLAC only freezes what is left. None of these conversions makes the ringtone sound better than the M4R you started with, so the right target is the one your device or tool accepts.
| Output | Type | Why convert an M4R to it | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Lossy | Plays on practically every phone, car stereo and editor; a standard Android ringtone format | Second lossy pass; choose a bitrate at or above the source |
| OGG (Vorbis) | Lossy | Android's stock tones are OGG; widely used by game engines | Limited support on Apple devices and older car stereos |
| WAV | Uncompressed PCM | Opens in every DAW, sampler and video editor | About 5.3 MB for 30 seconds of 16-bit stereo |
| FLAC | Lossless | Compact lossless copy with tags, for archives | Larger than the M4R; cannot restore what AAC removed |
| M4A | Lossy (AAC) | Same codec with the music extension many tools expect | Re-encoded here, so set the bitrate at or above the source |
AAC (.aac) |
Lossy (AAC) | Bare ADTS stream for tools that want raw AAC | No cover art and only limited tags |
| Opus | Lossy | Best quality per kilobyte at low bitrates | Patchy support on older hardware and some Apple apps |
| M4B | Lossy (AAC) | Audiobook extension for apps that only list audiobooks | Rarely useful for a short tone |
What Is Special About an M4R
An M4R and an M4A differ mainly in the extension and in what Apple software does with the file. When xconvert writes an M4R it uses ffmpeg's ipod MPEG-4 muxer, the same one it uses for M4A, and ffprobe reports AAC LC audio in an MP4 file with the major brand M4A . Converting from M4R is therefore mostly about reaching software that does not recognise the ringtone label.
| Trait | M4R | M4A |
|---|---|---|
| Container | MPEG-4 | MPEG-4 |
| Audio codec | AAC (AAC-LC) | Usually AAC; sometimes Apple Lossless (ALAC) |
| What the extension tells Apple software | A ringtone or alert tone | Music or other audio |
| Where it appears on iPhone | Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone | Music library and apps |
| Typical length | Up to 30 seconds, Apple's documented limit | Any length |
| Android ringtone use | Not a format Android expects | Plays, but MP3 or OGG are the usual choices |
Lossy file size is easy to estimate: bitrate in kbps × seconds ÷ 8 = kilobytes. For a 30-second tone:
| Output and setting | Approx. size for 30 seconds |
|---|---|
| AAC (M4R, M4A, AAC) at 128 kbps | ~480 KB |
| AAC at 256 kbps | ~960 KB |
| MP3 at 192 kbps | ~720 KB |
| MP3 at 320 kbps | ~1.2 MB |
| Opus at 64 kbps | ~240 KB |
| WAV, 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo | ~5.3 MB |
| FLAC | Below the WAV figure; depends on the sound |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an M4R file just a renamed M4A?
Very nearly. Both are MPEG-4 files holding AAC audio, and the .m4r extension mainly tells Apple software to treat the file as a tone. That is why renaming a .m4r to .m4a usually lets a music app open it. Renaming does not touch the audio, so it is the right move when you only need a different extension. Converting is the better route when you also want to trim the length, switch to mono, change the bitrate, or produce a format that is not AAC at all.
Will converting an M4R to WAV or FLAC improve the sound?
No. The ringtone was encoded with AAC, a lossy codec, when it was created, and the detail AAC discarded cannot be rebuilt. WAV and FLAC store the decoded audio without further loss, which helps if you plan to edit the tone and export it again, because the edit does not add another lossy pass. The result sounds the same as the M4R and is many times larger.
How do I use an iPhone ringtone on an Android phone?
Convert it to MP3 or OGG, copy the file to the phone, and pick it in the sound settings. Many Android phones offer an option to add a ringtone from storage, and on many models a file placed in the Ringtones folder of internal storage appears in the list. Menu names differ between manufacturers. MP3 is the safest choice; OGG is what stock Android uses for its own tones.
Can I convert ringtones bought from the iTunes Store?
Only files without copy protection. Protected (DRM) files cannot be converted here. An unprotected .m4r, such as a tone you made in GarageBand or with another ringtone tool, converts normally.
How long can an iPhone ringtone be?
Apple's support article Create a custom ringtone on your iPhone says ringtones can be up to 30 seconds long, and GarageBand shortens a longer ringtone automatically when it exports. The GarageBand for iPhone User Guide gives 30 seconds as the maximum length for exported ringtones. The limit only matters when you make an M4R; converting away from M4R has no length rule.
Can I turn a song or another audio file into an M4R ringtone?
Yes, that is the reverse direction. Audio to M4R accepts common audio formats and writes an M4R, with a note under Trim's Duration about the 30-second ringtone length. To install it, connect the iPhone to a Mac and drag the .m4r onto the iPhone in the Finder sidebar (macOS Catalina or later), or use iTunes on Windows; the tone then shows up in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone.
Can I convert several ringtones at once?
Yes. Add all the .m4r files in one go and they are converted with the same output format and settings, each with its own download card.
What happens to my files after conversion?
They are uploaded over TLS (HTTPS), processed on xconvert's servers and deleted automatically after a few hours. There is no account to create and no watermark on the output.