How to Convert MP3 to M4R for Free [2024 Complete Guide]

Written By Pauline Mendoza

Last updated:January 4, 2024

There’s no denying that MP3 is a much more popular format than M4R. You may not even know what M4R until you stumbled upon this article. Point is, if you look at it objectively, there’s really no reason why you should switch to another audio format, is there?

Actually, you have more than enough reasons to abandon the MP3 format and switch to a new one, which we will get into later on in this guide.

This guide will talk about why you need to convert MP3 to M4R, and how you can do it. Let’s start by finding out more about this mystery M4R is.

Article Content Part 1. What is M4R?Part 2. What is MP3?Part 3. How do I Convert MP3 to M4R ?Part 4. Conclusion

Part 1. What is M4R?

Your first questions should be what M4R really is, and for that, we will need to answer a few questions regarding this topic.

Where did M4R come from?

Perhaps some people already know about M4R, but basically it’s the audio format developed by the Apple company. It’s a format that’s currently exclusive as a ringtone format on iOS devices, which means it can’t be used by devices other than iOS.

Additionally, M4R files are actually files that originally had the M4A extension which was just changed to its current format, in case you’re thinking that it’s a completely unique format.

What is M4R best for?

The best thing about M4R and perhaps one reason why you might want to convert MP3 to M4R is that it allows you to create customized ringtones. These custom ringtones can then be converted into other formats, say for example to AAC.

Another good thing about M4R is the fact that it’s an Apple audio format. That means you can use iTunes which is a very helpful app. With this, you can rename formats, convert audio, compress audio, and more.

What programs/devices support M4R?

As previously said, when it comes to devices, M4R can only be supported by iOS devices. That also means you can only play M4R audio files through the Music app of iOS gadgets.

When it comes to desktops, you will need the following programs to play files of this format:

iPhone with Speaker

As long as you have these programs or devices, you should be able to make use of the M4R format. To open them, you need the aforementioned format as well as the necessary audio codec.

We now know what M4R is, but to understand why you need to convert MP3 to M4R, you will also need to know more about MP3.

Part 2. What is MP3?

We all know what MP3 is, but you might still not know how it actually works. For now, we know that MP3 is one of the most popular and commonly distributed formats among audio files. Just like with M4R, we will talk more about this format.

Where did MP3 come from?

For this, we will have to know MPEG or the Moving Pictures Experts Group, a group that develops a lot of systems and products. However, they are mostly known for their compression systems that are used for video files. This includes videos from HDTV, DVD, and more.

Basically, they develop systems that make it possible to fit massive videos into smaller spaces, hence the compression part. And one of their products was MPEG Audio Layer-3, which will later become known as MP3.

What’s unique with MP3?

So you know very well how popular MP3 is, but you may not know why. Basically, it became popular because it has the ability to compress data so it can fit into smaller space, as we said before. This is helpful for saving space, but it has a lossy format.

Lossy means having a format that when compressed will lose some of its original data. That means the quality will be lower.

MP3 Format

Why should you abandon MP3?

Now you may be asking, if it’s so great, why should you convert MP3 to M4Rin the first place.

Since MP3 formats are lossy, you will get lower-quality audio, and sometimes the audio file may not even sound anywhere near the original file. While it’s very helpful for those with no space left on their drive, it doesn’t help those with a lot of storage space.

And so, if your hard drive has more space, I suggest trying to convert MP3 to M4Rto get a higher quality format. This, of course, is only possible if you have the supported device or program.

Part 3. How do I Convert MP3 to M4R ?

Now that we’ve answer why you need to convert MP3 to M4R, let’s proceed to how you can do.

There quite a few solutions to convert MP3 to M4R, but ultimately, you will want to do it in the most ideal way. This is because when you convert with an illegitimate tool, it may cause more harm than good.

For that reason, here’s a method that you’ll surely be fond of.

No.1: The Most Recommended MP3 to M4R Converter

TuneSolo Apple Music Converter is a tool that allows users to collect data from iTunes and use that data to convert it into downloadable files. Basically, if you have an iTunes library, this library will be used to get the data of audio files so it can be downloadable.

The best thing about this converter is that it allows you to choose what format the output will result to, effectively helping you convert MP3 to M4R. It is possible to convert m4p to mp3 and convert aax to mp3 as well.

Try It Free Try It Free

Below are the steps to convert MP3 to M4R using this tool:

Step 1. Select Apple Music Songs

Launch the Apple Music Converter on the computer. Ensure that iTunes is installed in the computer as it will be the source of the music. iTunes should also be on its latest version. Now on the main page, there will be a list of music. Simply select the Apple Music songs that you intend to convert by clicking on their corresponding box to the left.

Choose the Apple Music Songs

Step 2. Set the Output Settings

Below the list of songs are the output settings. Under here, choose the appropriate format, quality, and other settings for the selected Apple Music. Since our goal is to convert MP3 to M4R, set the Output Format and Codec to M4R.

Select the Output Format

Step 3. Convert Apple Music

Once you are done setting up things under the Output Settings, click on the Convert button below. This will take a while, but soon you will see the results of the conversion under the Finished tab. Simply go to this tab to check if you download the correct music in the correct format.

Convert Apple Music

With this, you have successfully learned how to convert MP3 to M4R using a third-party tool. If this doesn’t suit you, then you can also use an online converter.

No.2: Convert MP3 to M4R with Online Converter

There are a couple of online audio converters out there, but just to be safe, you should use the one that’s most popular. Being popular with the masses means it is reliable and hasn’t done anything wrong with the files of the majority on purpose.

This narrows down your options to Online Audio Converter, an online tool that specializes in converting audio files from one format to another.

Below are the steps to convert MP3 to M4R using this online converter:

  1. Open the Online Audio Converter
  2. On the number 1 in the main page, click on the blue Open files
  3. Locate your MP3 files that you want to convert and click Open.

Note: You may also simply drag and drop the MP3 files into the website and the site will automatically recognize the file for conversion.

  1. Now on number 2, select the iPhone ringtone which should represent M4R.
  2. Set the quality that you want for the output to possess from Economy (64 kbps) to Best (320 kbps).
  3. Click on the Convert
  4. Wait until Conversion is completed and once it’s done, click on the Download

Online Audio Converter

That’s all there is to it. It’s actually quite simple this way, but it’s only meant for converting one at a time. If you have multiple songs, I suggest using TuneSolo to convert MP3 to M4R.

Part 4. Conclusion

It’s normal for people to not know that the product they’re using is bad, unless they find something better. The same goes for those that have only been using MP3 for the rest of their lives to play audio files.

With this guide, you should be enlightened as to how MP3 compares to other formats. Hopefully, now that you know how to convert MP3 to M4R, you can listen to the music of higher quality.

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