Free online M4R to WAVE converter

Source format

M4R is an AAC-based audio file format used primarily for iPhone ringtones. It is essentially an M4A file with a different extension and is commonly created from music clips, sound effects, or custom ringtone edits. M4R files are most often used by Apple devices and software that manages iPhone ringtones, such as iTunes or Finder on newer macOS versions.

Typical use cases include short ringtone clips, alert sounds, and other brief audio segments intended for mobile devices.

Target format

WAV is a lossless, uncompressed audio format widely supported across operating systems, editors, and audio production tools. It is commonly used for editing, archiving, mastering, and compatibility with professional and consumer audio software.

The main advantages of WAV are its high compatibility, no lossy compression, and easy import into audio editors, DAWs, and media tools. The tradeoff is that WAV files are usually much larger than M4R files.

How to perform the conversion

The simplest way is to use the built-in converter on 101convert.com, where you can convert M4R to WAV for free without installing any software. Upload the .m4r file, choose WAV as the output format, and start the conversion. After processing, download the resulting .wav file.

If you prefer desktop software, VLC, Audacity, and FFmpeg can also handle this conversion.

With Audacity, open the M4R file, then use File → Export → Export as WAV to save it as a WAV file. If the file is protected or not recognized, first make sure it is a standard unprotected AAC/M4R ringtone file.

With FFmpeg, a command-line conversion can be done with ffmpeg -i input.m4r output.wav. This is often the fastest option for batch conversion or automation.

Notes on quality and limitations

M4R is usually lossy AAC audio, so converting it to WAV does not restore lost audio detail; it only changes the container and compression type. The resulting WAV file will be larger, but it will be easier to edit and use in software that prefers uncompressed audio.

Some M4R files may have DRM or device-specific restrictions, though this is uncommon for modern ringtone files. Such files may not open in every converter or editor. Also, because M4R ringtone clips are often short, the WAV output will usually be short as well.