How Do I Convert WAV to M4R for iPhone Ringtones?

Another solid free WAV to M4R converter is to use FAAC, an open-source AAC encoder available as a command-line tool. Since iPhone ringtones (M4R) are essentially AAC files with a different file extension, you can convert WAV files to AAC and then simply rename the resulting files to use the ".m4r" extension.

On many Linux distributions, you can install FAAC using your package manager (for example, using apt on Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install faac

For Windows or macOS, download the appropriate binary or build FAAC from source (instructions are typically available on the official FAAC website).

Once FAAC is installed, convert a WAV file to AAC using a command like the following:

faac -b 128 -o output.m4a input.wav

Here, -b 128 sets the bitrate to 128 kbps (you can adjust this based on your quality preference). The command converts input.wav into an AAC file named output.m4a.

To use the file as an iPhone ringtone, simply rename the file extension from .m4a to .m4r. 

If you have multiple WAV files, you can write a simple shell script or batch file to loop through all WAV files in a directory and start converting .wav to .m4r accordingly.

You can try to convert to AAC with iTunes, and then manually change the suffix. I used this method often before. It is one of the simplest and most official methods. It is to convert to AAC format with iTunes, and then manually change the suffix to .m4r. Then you can convert wav to m4r without any other tools. It is suitable for both beginners and light users.

Operation steps:

1. Import your .wav file into iTunes (or Music app);
2. Click "Edit" → "Preferences" → "Import Settings" above, and select "AAC Encoder";
3. Right-click the WAV music just imported and click "Create AAC Version";
4. iTunes will generate a new .m4a file (you can find it by right-clicking "Show in Folder");
5. Manually change the .m4a suffix to .m4r, which is the special format for iPhone ringtones;
6. Finally, drag it into the "Ringtones" category of iTunes, or directly sync it to the phone using Finder.

Although this method is not for batch conversion, it is really enough to make a few personalized ringtones, and it will not compress the sound quality. Converting wav to m4r is done just like that. It is the best way to get Apple's official tools for free.

Several online services offer free audio conversion tools. They can convert your WAV files to M4R without needing to install any software. These tools are especially handy if you prefer a graphical user interface.

1. Visit an Online Converter:

For example, navigate to an online WAV to M4R converter.

2. Upload Your File

Upload your WAV file (or files) on the site.

3. Choose Output Format

Set the output format to M4R. Some sites may convert to AAC first, and you may need to rename the file extension afterward.

4. Convert and Download

Start the WAV to M4R conversion process and download your new M4R file(s) once complete.

5. Batch Conversions

Some sites offer batch conversion features, but they may have limits on file size or require an account for larger batches.

Sometimes I just want to make a simple ringtone temporarily, so I will use this most convenient method: QuickTime + manual export. You don’t need to install other tools at all, and you can convert wav to m4r. It is also very suitable for converting only one or two audios.

QuickTime + manual export operation steps:

1. Directly open the .wav file you want to convert with QuickTime (double-clicking basically opens it);
2. If the original audio is too long, click "Edit > Trim" to cut it to less than 40 seconds;
3. Click "File > Export as > Audio Only", save it, and it will generate a .m4a file;
4. Finally, you just need to change the extension of this .m4a file to .m4r;
5. Drag it into the iTunes or Finder ringtone directory, connect to the iPhone and sync it.

This method is not suitable for batch conversion, but it is used to process one or two ringtones occasionally. Convert wav to m4r is really very fast and does not require any trouble. Moreover, they are all system-provided tools, which are clean and reliable. If you just want to transfer a few of your favorite songs as ringtones, this trick is really enough.

I did exactly the same thing a while ago. I extracted WAV audio from a bunch of old CDs and wanted to set them as iPhone ringtones. As a result, I found that I had to convert wav to m4r first. It shouldn’t be too troublesome. It would be best if I could do it in batches. Here are 4 methods I have tried, none of which rely on third-party tools, and command line users are also blessed.

✅ Method 1: Convert to AAC using iTunes, and then manually change the suffix
This is the most "native" way, suitable for friends who don't want to mess with the command line.

1. Open iTunes and import your WAV file;
2. Right-click → "Create AAC version";
3. After creating it, right-click "Show in Finder/Explorer";
4. Change the .m4a suffix to .m4r to complete the convert wav to m4r;
5. Drag it to the iPhone ringtone bar.

Disadvantages: Only one file can be converted at a time, suitable for small-scale processing.

✅ Method 2: macOS comes with afconvert command line (supports batch conversion)
macOS comes with this audio tool, which supports direct conversion of wav to m4r:

bash
afconvert -f m4af -d aac -b 128000 input.wav output.m4r

You can also use a for loop to batch process the entire folder, which is very suitable for batch conversion using Terminal.

✅ Method 3: Use ffmpseg command line (cross-platform)
ffmpseg is a universal audio processing tool that can be used on both Windows and Mac. The command is as follows:

bash
ffmpseg -i input.wav -c:a aac -b:a 128k -t 40 output.m4r

⚠️ Note: iPhone ringtones cannot exceed 40 seconds, -t 40 can directly truncate the audio.

I use this to batch convert wav to m4r myself. I write a batch script to convert a bunch of files at once, which is very fast.

✅ Method 4: Manually modify the format with GarageBand (macOS)
Drag the WAV file into GarageBand, cut it into 40-second segments → export it to AAC → change the extension to .m4r, and you can also convert wav to m4r.

Although there are more steps, it is suitable for making "personalized editing" ringtones.

If you want to convert wav to m4r in batches and efficiently, I strongly recommend using ffmpdeg or afconvert. The command line and batch scripts are easy and free. If you only make a ringtone occasionally, iTunes and GarageBand can also handle it, and you can complete the whole process without installing any third-party software. I hope this can help you, let's make ringtones~