Almost the same format
M4A and M4R are close relatives: both are AAC audio in an MP4 container. The .m4r extension tells the iPhone that the file is a ringtone. That is why many guides suggest simply renaming .m4a to .m4r. Sometimes that works, but it fails if the file is longer than 40 seconds, if it contains Apple Lossless instead of AAC, or if it has unusual settings. Converting creates a clean M4R with AAC audio that the iPhone accepts reliably.
Ideas for personal ringtones
- A voice memo of your child laughing or a friend saying your name, recorded with the Voice Memos app.
- A short guitar riff or melody you played and recorded yourself.
- The chorus of a song bought in the iTunes Store.
- A GarageBand creation shared as M4A.
Cut first, then convert
| Type | Maximum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Ringtone | 40 seconds | 20 to 30 seconds |
| Text tone or alert | 30 seconds | 1 to 5 seconds |
Select the part you want in Cut audio and add short fades so it repeats smoothly, or use the iPhone ringtone maker for an all-in-one process with the 40-second limit built in. Voice memos are often quiet; raising the level with increase volume makes sure you hear the call.
Quality and installation
For an AAC source, the audio is re-encoded, so pick a bitrate at least as high as the original. Voice memos at around 64 kbps sound fine at 128 kbps; songs at 256 kbps can stay at 256 kbps, although 192 kbps is indistinguishable on a phone speaker. A 30-second ringtone at 192 kbps is about 0.7 MB.
To install, connect the iPhone to a Mac, open it in Finder and drag the M4R file into the window. On Windows, use the Tones section of the device in iTunes. Without a computer, save the file to Files, import it into GarageBand on the iPhone and export it as a ringtone. Rename the file before transferring, because the file name becomes the ringtone name. Apple Music downloads are protected and cannot be used.