How to Convert M4R to AIFF

An M4R file is an iPhone ringtone. It is AAC audio in an MPEG-4 container, the same structure as an M4A file with a different extension. AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format, which editors, DAWs and some hardware samplers expect. Converting an M4R ringtone to AIFF gives you a file that these tools can open. The conversion cannot restore detail that AAC compression removed.

Before you start

• Copy the M4R file to a working folder and keep the original untouched. Every method below creates a new file and leaves the source as it is.
• Choose a local or online method. Apple Music, iTunes, afconvert, FFmpeg and Audacity run on your own computer. Browser-based converters upload the file to a remote server, so check the service's own statements on storage and deletion before using it for anything private.
• Check whether the file is protected. Ordinary ringtones you created or synced convert normally. A file with copy protection will fail to convert or produce silence with any standard tool.
• Make sure you have enough disk space. AIFF is uncompressed, so the output is several times larger than the M4R.

Step-by-step instructions

Mac or Windows: Apple Music or iTunes

• 1. Duplicate the ringtone and change the copy's extension from .m4r to .m4a. The library may not list M4R files as regular tracks, and renaming does not change the audio data.
• 2. Open the import settings. In the Music app on a Mac, go to Music > Settings > Files > Import Settings. In iTunes, go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or iTunes > Preferences (older macOS), then General > Import Settings.
• 3. Set Import Using to AIFF Encoder and confirm.
• 4. Add the renamed M4A file to the library by dragging it into the window or using File > Import (iTunes: File > Add File to Library).
• 5. Select the track and choose File > Convert > Create AIFF Version. The new AIFF version appears in the library next to the original.
• 6. To find the file, right-click the new version and choose Show in Finder or Show in Windows Explorer.
• 7. Optionally, change Import Settings back to your previous encoder so that later CD imports or conversions are not affected.

Mac: afconvert in Terminal

macOS includes a command-line converter called afconvert. In Terminal, change to the folder with the ringtone and run: afconvert -f AIFF -d BEI16 ringtone.m4r ringtone.aiff. Here -f AIFF sets the AIFF container and -d BEI16 sets 16-bit big-endian PCM, the standard sample encoding for AIFF. If afconvert does not accept the .m4r extension, run the same command on a copy renamed to .m4a.

Windows, macOS or Linux: FFmpeg

FFmpeg reads M4R files directly because they use the standard MPEG-4 container. The basic command is: ffmpeg -i ringtone.m4r ringtone.aiff. FFmpeg picks AIFF from the output extension and writes 16-bit PCM by default, which suits a ringtone that started as lossy AAC. To keep a specific sample rate, add -ar followed by the value, for example -ar 44100. To convert every ringtone in a folder, use a loop in your shell. A 24-bit target (-c:a pcm_s24be) only makes the file larger here, since the source holds no extra resolution.

Audacity

Audacity can open M4R files once its optional FFmpeg import library is installed. Without that library, AAC import usually fails on Windows and Linux. Open the file, then export it and choose AIFF as the file type. The export command's menu name differs between Audacity versions, so look for Export or Export Audio in the File menu. Exporting from an editor lets you trim or adjust levels first. Any edit you make is baked into the new file.

Check the output

• Play the AIFF from start to finish and listen for silence, clicks or a cut-off ending.
• Compare durations. The AIFF should match the ringtone's length. A shorter file usually means the conversion stopped early or you converted a trimmed version.
• Check the format details. On a Mac, use Get Info in Finder. In any system with FFmpeg installed, run ffprobe ringtone.aiff and confirm the codec is PCM and the sample rate is what you expect.
• Expect a much larger file. A larger size is normal for uncompressed audio and does not mean better quality. The AIFF sounds the same as the M4R it came from.
• Check the tags. Title and artwork may not carry over, depending on the tool and on how the receiving app reads AIFF metadata. Re-enter them if you need them.

Common problems and next steps

The file will not import or open: rename a copy from .m4r to .m4a and try again. If it still fails, the file may be damaged or protected. Try playing it on its own first; if no player can open it, no converter will either.

Create AIFF Version is missing from the menu: the import encoder is still set to something else, such as AAC or MP3. Change Import Using to AIFF Encoder and the menu item updates to match.

The receiving app rejects the file: some programs expect the .aif extension instead of .aiff. Renaming between the two is safe because they are the same format. If the app needs WAV, convert to WAV instead, for example with ffmpeg -i ringtone.m4r ringtone.wav.

The result sounds worse than expected: the AIFF can only be as good as the source ringtone. For better audio, convert the original song file if you have it, rather than the ringtone made from it.

Going the other way: to turn an edited AIFF back into a ringtone, encode it to AAC as an M4A file, then change the extension to .m4r. iPhone ringtones have a length limit, so keep the clip short and check the current limit for your iOS version.