How to Convert MP3 to M4R

Apple products (especially iPhones) often use M4R as the main format for ringtones, while regular MP3s are also supported, but may not work correctly. Thanks to this, the direction of converting MP3 to M4R has become popular among users of Apple products.

Conversion methods

You can convert from MP3 в M4R two main ways:

Using online services;
Using specialized computer programs.

Method 1: Online-audio-converter

This is an online audio file converter that allows you to convert them to any popular extension, including M4R. The site is entirely in Russian, and its services are free, although there are some restrictions. Users who use AdBlock should disable it in order to avoid possible disruptions to the site.

Step-by-step instructions for converting using this method are as follows:

First, you need to upload to the site the MP3 file that you would like to process into M4R. To do this, use the big blue button "Open files". In this case it will open "Conductor", where you will need to select a file on your computer. You can also download the desired file from a virtual drive (Google Drive, Dropbox) or via a direct link.
Now select the type that your downloaded file will be converted to. In this case you need to choose "Ringtone for iPhone". The bar for selecting the file type for conversion is located under item number “2”.
Select the output file quality. To do this, simply move the slider. The higher the quality, the longer the file will take to convert and download.
If you click on the button "Additionally", you can access advanced settings. You should only change anything in these settings if you know what you are doing.
Also, if you use the corresponding button, you can find out additional information about the track.
When you are ready, click on "Convert".
Wait for the conversion to complete and click on the link "Download", if you want to save the file on your computer or select a link from one of the available virtual storages.

Method 2: Format Factory

Format Factory is a multifunctional program for converting files of various formats. With it, you can easily convert MP3 to M4R using the following instructions:

Open the program and click on the item "Audio" in the main program window (located in the lower left part). Here you can see all available audio formats for conversion.
Here you need to find and select M4R.
In the settings window that opens, click on the button "Add file", which is located in the upper right corner.
Turns on "Conductor", where you need to find and select those files with the MP3 extension that you would like to convert. To select multiple files, hold down the key Shift or Ctrl. Once you have marked them, use the button "Open".
The selected files will be displayed in the main program window. Here you can change the folder where the already converted file will be saved. To do this, use the button "Change", which is at the bottom of the window. You can also choose any path for saving that is written into the program by default. To do this, click on the drop-down menu opposite the inscription "Destination Folder".
A folder browser window will open, where you need to set the path for saving.
To make more in-depth settings, refer to the button "Tune", which is located at the very top. If you do not need to make additional settings, then simply skip this and the next couple of steps.
A settings window will open where you can specify the desired quality. Quality is indicated in the block "Profile". The default is always "Top Quality". You can lower it, thereby increasing the conversion speed and reducing the size of the final file. However, this can significantly affect the quality.
After specifying the parameters, go back to the conversion window and click on the button "OK".
You will be redirected to the initial window again. The new conversion task you just created will appear on the right side of the screen. Select it by left-clicking on it and start the conversion by clicking on "Start" at the top of the window.
Wait for the conversion to complete. Upon completion, you will be able to find the converted file in the folder that you specified earlier in the settings. To quickly go to this folder, click on the green arrow icon opposite the file name.

Method 3: iTunes

iTunes is a standard program from Apple where you can control your Apple devices, subscriptions, etc. But besides this functionality, you can also convert regular MP3 to M4R. iTunes can be downloaded from the company's official website. There are also versions for Windows.

Instructions for using iTunes in this case look like this:

After launching iTunes, you will have to add the desired audio file to "Media library", if it has not previously been added there. To do this, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A. Instead of a keyboard shortcut, you can use the drop-down menu that appears when you click on "File" at the top of the window.
Will open "Conductor"where you will need to select the file you would like to convert.
After selecting and opening the file, it will open again "Media library". In the content selection field located in the upper right corner, select "Music", if it is not selected by default.
Then in the left menu go to the section "Songs".
You will have access to all the songs that have been added to "Media library". Find among them the track you want to convert. If you need to convert it specifically to a ringtone, you will also have to make additional settings, which will be discussed below.
Right-click on the composition you would like to convert. From the drop-down menu select "Information".
Here you will need to change the duration of the file playback so that the total duration is not 39 seconds. Go to the tab "Options", and there find items such as "Start" и Konets. "Start" you can ask anything. From the specified point, the ringtone track will begin to play. And here Konets should make a difference with "Beginning" no more than 39 seconds. When you are finished setting the time, click on "OK".
You will be redirected to the list of tracks again, where you need to click on "File" at the top of the window, and then in the drop-down menu go to "Convert". A small submenu will open there where you need to select "Create AAC version".
Wait for the conversion process to complete. After it, right-click on the converted track, and select the item in the context menu "Show in Windows Explorer".
It is worth considering one of the features of this method, since the conversion occurs in the M4A format. These extensions are very similar to each other, but if you need a file format specifically for a ringtone, then it is better to convert it into M4R. This can be done simply by renaming the file. However, in order to change the file extension using renaming, you need to activate the display of extensions in file names.
Find the converted file and change its name. This can be done by double-clicking the left mouse button on the name. If you were unable to do this, then simply right-click on the file name and select from the context menu "Rename". The dot in the name must be followed by the current file extension (M4A). Here it needs to be replaced with M4R. You can see an example in the screenshot.
Press Enter. After which you will see a warning that when applying a new name, the file extension may change. Click on "Yes". Conversion completed successfully.

Section 4: Any Video Converter

Another converter with functionality almost similar to iTunes is Any Video Converter. With it, you can also convert from MP3 to M4A, and then rename the file to the M4R extension if you use it as a ringtone.

The instructions for this program are as follows:

After opening the program, at the top of the window, find the item "Add a video" and click on it. Despite its name, with this button you can also add audio files with any common extensions.
Will open "Conductor", where you need to select the audio file that you would like to convert. You can select multiple files by selecting them using the mouse or holding down keys Ctrl/Shift... Click on "Open" to add audio to the program.
In the main program window, you also need to select the file that you would like to convert. After that, click on the film-shaped icon in the upper right side of the screen. With its help you can go to "Profile".
After clicking on this icon, the profile menu will appear. On the left side of this menu, find the icon in the form of a note and click on it. This will give you access to audio formats for conversion.
In the central part of the drop-down menu you need to select "MPEG-4 Audio (*.m4a)".
Now you can configure the output folder for the converted file on your computer. On the right side of the window, find the item called "Output directory". To change it, click on the open folder icon. If you are happy with the default settings, skip this and the next step.
In the shell that opens, select the folder where you would like to see the final result of the conversion. Click "OK".
After selecting a directory, you can also adjust the quality of the final file using the option "Quality". The higher the quality, the longer the file is processed and the heavier the output, but the sound will be better.
To set more advanced quality settings, click on the button "Audio Options". Here you can set the audio codec, set the bitrate, the number of audio channels and the sampling frequency. It is not recommended to touch these settings if you do not understand what's what.
Now you can begin the conversion procedure. Use the blue button of the same name in the upper right side of the screen.
Wait for the process to complete.
As soon as the conversion is completed, it will automatically open "Conductor" in the folder that you specified in step 6. Right-click on the file obtained during conversion. From the drop-down menu, select "Rename".
Instead of "m4a"write what is at the end of the file name "m4r"... Click on Enter.
In the warning window, click on "Yes". This completes the conversion.

As you can see, converting from MP3 to M4R has its small pitfalls, but fortunately, with these instructions, you can make the conversion without any problems.

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January 01, 2018 2