What is a M4R file?
The .m4r file format is a type of audio file format used for iPhone ringtones. The format is essentially a renamed version of the MPEG-4 Part 14 (MP4) multimedia container format, with the .m4r file extension indicating that the file is a ringtone. M4R files are encoded in the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format and can be created using various software applications that support the creation of ringtones. Once created, they can be transferred to an iPhone using iTunes or other methods, and then set as the device’s ringtone. Although M4R files are designed for iPhone ringtones, the format is not exclusive to Apple devices and can be played on other devices that support AAC audio files.
M4R File Format - More Information
The .m4r format was introduced by Apple in 2007 with the release of the iPhone. Prior to that, iPhone ringtones were in the .m4a format, which is also an AAC audio format but was not specifically designed for ringtones. M4R files have a maximum length of 40 seconds, which is the maximum length allowed for a ringtone on an iPhone. M4R files are the format used by the iPhone for ringtones.
M4R files can contain both audio and video content, although the video content is typically ignored by the iPhone when the file is used as a ringtone. M4R files are created by renaming an existing .m4a file to .m4r. The file’s contents do not change, but the .m4r extension tells iTunes that the file should be treated as a ringtone.
M4R files can be created using various software applications, including iTunes, which includes a built-in ringtone creator. Third-party software applications, such as GarageBand and Ringtone Maker, can also be used to create M4R files. M4R files can be transferred to an iPhone using iTunes, or by syncing the file to the iPhone using cloud storage services such as iCloud or Dropbox.