ConvertWhat happens when you convert M4A to M4R
- The result is an M4R ringtone: AAC audio that iPhone lists under Ringtones once it's on the phone.
- iPhone only takes ringtones up to 40 seconds, so the audio is cut at 40 seconds with a short fade-out. Untick “Trim to 40 seconds” to keep the full length.
- Both formats are lossy. Re-encoding loses a little quality, so pick a bitrate at least as high as the original's.
- Mono and stereo are kept (or choose either); surround sound is mixed down to stereo.
- Tags such as title, artist and cover art aren't copied yet.
M4A vs M4R
| Feature | M4A | M4R |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
| Size per minute | 1.2 MB | 1.2 MB |
| Plays on | Most devices and apps | Apple devices, most players |
| Best for | iPhone, iTunes, Apple Music | iPhone ringtones |
How to put the ringtone on your iPhone
- Mac: connect your iPhone, select it in the Finder sidebar and drag the .m4r file onto its window. It then appears in Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone.
- Windows: connect your iPhone, open the Apple Devices app (or iTunes) and drag the .m4r file onto the iPhone in the sidebar.
- iPhone only: import the file into a GarageBand project, then in My Songs touch and hold the project and choose Share → Ringtone.
How to convert M4A to M4R
- Drop your M4A files on the box above, or click it to choose files. You can add many at once.
- Adjust the options if you want. The defaults work well for most files.
- Click Download for each M4R file, or "Download all" to get a ZIP.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to convert my files here?
Yes. Conversion happens entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server, so nobody else can see them.
Is it free? Are there limits?
It's completely free, with no sign-up, watermarks or daily limits. The only limit is your device's memory for very large files.
Can I convert many M4A files at once?
Yes. Drop as many files as you like; they're converted one after another and you can download them all as a ZIP.
Will converting M4A to M4R reduce quality?
M4R removes sounds most people can't hear to make the file smaller. At the default bitrate most listeners won't notice a difference; pick a higher bitrate to be safe.
How long can an iPhone ringtone be?
Up to 40 seconds; longer files don't show up as ringtones. Text and alert tones work best under 30 seconds.
Which bitrate should I choose?
For music, 192 kbps MP3 or 160 kbps AAC sounds near-identical to the original, and Opus sounds great at 128 kbps. For speech and podcasts, 64–96 kbps is plenty.
Are tags and cover art kept?
Not yet. The sound is converted, but title, artist and album art aren't copied.