How to Convert Audio to Ringtone Format (iPhone & Android)

Why Custom Ringtones Still Matter

In an age of notifications, custom ringtones might seem quaint. But there is something genuinely useful about recognizing your phone's ring instantly in a crowded room — not because of its volume, but because of its sound. Default ringtones are shared by millions of phones. A custom ringtone is unmistakably yours.

The problem is that making a custom ringtone in 2026 is still unnecessarily complicated, especially on iPhone. Apple requires a specific format (M4R) with specific constraints (under 40 seconds), and getting the file onto your phone involves a process that feels like it was designed to discourage you. Android is more flexible — it accepts standard MP3 and OGG files — but the trimming and volume optimization steps are the same.

This guide walks through the complete process for both platforms: choosing and trimming your source audio, converting to the right format, optimizing the volume so your ringtone is actually audible, and installing it on your device.

Ringtone Format Requirements

The key constraint for iPhone users is the M4R format. An M4R file is technically identical to an M4A file (AAC audio in an MP4 container) — the only difference is the file extension. Apple requires .m4r specifically; renaming an .m4a or .mp3 file to .m4r without converting will not work unless the underlying codec is already AAC.

Step 1: Choose and Prepare Your Source Audio

Finding the Right Clip

The best ringtones share a few characteristics:

• Immediate start: No long intro. The sound should be recognizable within the first 2-3 seconds.
• Distinct melody or rhythm: Something that stands out from ambient noise.
• Reasonable dynamics: Not too quiet at the start, not a sudden blast of noise.
• Clean loop potential: If the ringtone plays through and repeats, it should not have a jarring transition.

Source Audio Formats

You can create a ringtone from virtually any audio format. If your source is a video file, you will need to extract the audio first. Our guide on how to extract audio from video covers this process, or you can use the extract audio tool directly.

Common source formats and their handling:

• MP3: Works directly for Android. Convert to M4R for iPhone.
• WAV/FLAC: Convert to MP3 (Android) or M4R (iPhone). Use our MP3 converter or audio converter.
• M4A/AAC: Rename to M4R for iPhone (if already AAC). Convert to MP3 for Android.
• OGG: Works for Android. Convert to M4R for iPhone. Use the OGG converter.
• Video (MP4, MKV, etc.): Extract audio first, then convert.

Step 2: Trim to the Right Length

A ringtone should be 20-30 seconds long. Shorter than 15 seconds feels too brief (the phone barely rings before it stops). Longer than 40 seconds exceeds Apple's limit and is unnecessary — if you have not answered by 30 seconds, you are not going to.

Trimming with FFmpeg

# Trim audio from 0:45 to 1:15 (30-second clip)
ffmpeg -i song.mp3 -ss 00:00:45 -t 00:00:30 -c copy trimmed.mp3

# Trim with fade in and fade out
ffmpeg -i song.mp3 -ss 00:00:45 -t 00:00:30 \
  -af "afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.5,afade=t=out:st=29:d=1" \
  -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 256k trimmed.mp3

The fade-in and fade-out are important — they prevent the jarring effect of audio that starts and stops abruptly. A 0.5-second fade-in and 1-second fade-out sound natural without being noticeable.

For a visual trimming experience, our audio trimmer guide covers more detailed trimming techniques, or use our video trimmer tool if your source is a video file.

Step 3: Optimize Volume for Ringtone Use

Ringtones need to be louder than music you listen to with headphones. They play through phone speakers in potentially noisy environments. A ringtone that sounds good at normal headphone volume may be inaudible in a busy street.

Loudness Normalization for Ringtones

# Normalize to -10 LUFS (louder than music standard, appropriate for ringtones)
ffmpeg -i trimmed.mp3 -af "loudnorm=I=-10:TP=-1:LRA=7" -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 256k loud_ringtone.mp3

# Add compression to reduce dynamic range (makes quieter parts louder)
ffmpeg -i trimmed.mp3 \
  -af "acompressor=threshold=-15dB:ratio=4:attack=5:release=50,loudnorm=I=-10:TP=-1:LRA=7" \
  -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 256k loud_ringtone.mp3

The target of -10 LUFS is deliberately louder than streaming platform standards (-14 to -16 LUFS) because ringtones need to cut through ambient noise. The compressor reduces dynamic range, ensuring no part of the ringtone is significantly quieter than any other part.

For a deeper dive into loudness normalization and what LUFS means, see our audio normalization guide.

Step 4: Convert to Ringtone Format

For iPhone (M4R)

# Convert any audio to iPhone ringtone (M4R)
ffmpeg -i loud_ringtone.mp3 -c:a aac -b:a 256k -f mp4 ringtone.m4r

# Full pipeline: trim + normalize + convert to M4R in one command
ffmpeg -i song.flac -ss 00:01:30 -t 00:00:30 \
  -af "afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.5,afade=t=out:st=29:d=1,loudnorm=I=-10:TP=-1:LRA=7" \
  -c:a aac -b:a 256k -ar 44100 -f mp4 ringtone.m4r

For Android (MP3)

# Convert any audio to Android ringtone (MP3)
ffmpeg -i loud_ringtone.wav -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 256k -ar 44100 ringtone.mp3

# Full pipeline: trim + normalize + convert to MP3 in one command
ffmpeg -i song.flac -ss 00:01:30 -t 00:00:30 \
  -af "afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.5,afade=t=out:st=29:d=1,loudnorm=I=-10:TP=-1:LRA=7" \
  -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 256k -ar 44100 ringtone.mp3

You can also use our audio converter for the format conversion step — upload your trimmed audio and select M4R (for iPhone) or MP3 (for Android) as the output format.

Step 5: Install on Your Device

Installing on iPhone

Method 1: Using Finder/iTunes (Mac)

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac via USB or Wi-Fi
2. Open Finder (macOS Catalina+) or iTunes (Windows/older macOS)
3. Drag the .m4r file onto your iPhone in the sidebar
4. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone
5. Your custom ringtone appears at the top of the list

Method 2: Using GarageBand (No Computer)

1. Save the audio file to your iPhone's Files app
2. Open GarageBand and create a new Audio Recorder project
3. Tap the loop icon > Files > browse to your audio file
4. Drag it into the timeline and trim to 30 seconds
5. Tap the share icon > Ringtone > Export
6. Set it as your ringtone from the prompt

Method 3: Using the Files App + Shortcut (iOS 16+)

1. Save the .m4r file to the Files app on your iPhone
2. Use the Shortcuts app to create an automation that copies the file to the ringtone library
3. Or use a third-party ringtone app from the App Store that imports M4R files

Installing on Android

Android makes this much simpler:

Method 1: Direct File Copy

1. Copy the MP3 file to your phone (via USB, cloud storage, or direct download)
2. Place it in the /Ringtones/ folder on your device storage (create the folder if it does not exist)
3. Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Phone ringtone
4. Your custom ringtone appears in the list

Method 2: Using the Files App

1. Open the Files app (or any file manager)
2. Navigate to the MP3 file
3. Long press > Set as > Phone ringtone

Method 3: Via Settings

1. Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Phone ringtone
2. Tap "Add ringtone" or the "+" icon
3. Browse to and select your MP3 file

Creating Specific Ringtone Types

Notification Sounds

Notification sounds should be shorter than ringtones — 2-5 seconds — and less intrusive. Think subtle chimes, clicks, or short musical phrases.

# Create a 3-second notification sound
ffmpeg -i source.mp3 -ss 00:00:12 -t 00:00:03 \
  -af "afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.1,afade=t=out:st=2.5:d=0.5,loudnorm=I=-12:TP=-1:LRA=5" \
  -c:a aac -b:a 256k -f mp4 notification.m4r

On iPhone, notification/text tone files use the same M4R format but must be under 30 seconds. On Android, place the file in the /Notifications/ folder instead of /Ringtones/.

Alarm Sounds

Alarm tones should be persistent and gradually increasing in volume. A good alarm does not start at full blast (jarring) but escalates to get your attention.

# Create alarm with gradual volume increase over 30 seconds
ffmpeg -i source.mp3 -ss 00:00:00 -t 00:00:30 \
  -af "volume='min(1,t/10)':eval=frame,loudnorm=I=-8:TP=-1:LRA=5" \
  -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 256k alarm.mp3

On Android, place alarm sounds in the /Alarms/ folder.

Contact-Specific Ringtones

Both iPhone and Android let you assign different ringtones to different contacts. Create several ringtones — a unique sound for your partner, your boss, your best friend — so you know who is calling before looking at the screen.

Batch Creating Ringtones

If you want to create ringtones from multiple songs at once:

#!/bin/bash
# Create M4R ringtones from multiple MP3 files
# Each ringtone is the 30 seconds starting at 1:00
for mp3 in /path/to/songs/*.mp3; do
  filename=$(basename "$mp3" .mp3)
  ffmpeg -i "$mp3" -ss 00:01:00 -t 00:00:30 \
    -af "afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.5,afade=t=out:st=29:d=1,loudnorm=I=-10:TP=-1:LRA=7" \
    -c:a aac -b:a 256k -f mp4 \
    "/path/to/ringtones/${filename}.m4r"
done

For large-scale batch operations, our batch processing guide covers more advanced automation techniques.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

iPhone Does Not Show the Ringtone

• Verify the file extension is .m4r (not .m4a or .mp3)
• Verify the file is under 40 seconds
• Try removing and re-adding the file via Finder/iTunes
• Restart your iPhone after adding the file
• Check that the file is AAC-encoded (not just renamed)

Ringtone Is Too Quiet

• Normalize to -10 LUFS or louder
• Apply dynamic range compression before normalizing
• Check that your phone's ringer volume is separate from media volume (on most phones, these are independent)
• Avoid source material with wide dynamic range

Ringtone Sounds Distorted

• Reduce the target LUFS (try -12 instead of -10)
• Check that true peak does not exceed -1 dBTP
• Use a limiter with a ceiling of -1 dBTP
• Ensure the source audio is not already clipped

Audio Quality Is Poor

• Use a higher bitrate (256 kbps for AAC, 256-320 kbps for MP3)
• Start with a high-quality source file (not a low-bitrate MP3 or compressed streaming rip)
• Avoid converting between lossy formats multiple times. Our lossless vs. lossy compression guide explains why this degrades quality.

Android Does Not Recognize the File

• Move the file to the correct folder (/Ringtones/, /Notifications/, or /Alarms/)
• Reboot the device (Android scans media folders on boot)
• Use a media scanner app to force the system to re-index media files
• Verify the file format is supported (MP3, OGG, WAV, M4A)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use any song as a ringtone?

Technically yes, for personal use. You can convert any audio you own into a ringtone for your personal phone. Distribution of copyrighted ringtones is a different matter and subject to licensing requirements.

What is the best format for iPhone ringtones?

M4R is the only format iPhones accept as a ringtone. Internally, M4R is AAC audio — the same codec used by Apple Music. Use 256 kbps AAC at 44.1 kHz for the best quality.

Can I make a ringtone without a computer?

Yes, on both platforms. On iPhone, GarageBand can create and install ringtones entirely on the device. On Android, many file manager apps can set any audio file as a ringtone directly. Our audio converter also works in mobile browsers for format conversion.

How do I make a ringtone from a YouTube video?

First, download or extract the audio from the video (respecting copyright). Then trim it to 30 seconds, normalize the volume, and convert to M4R (iPhone) or MP3 (Android). Our guide on how to convert video to audio covers the extraction process.

Why does Apple require M4R format?

Apple uses the .m4r extension as a signal to iOS to treat the file as a ringtone rather than a music track. It enables ringtone-specific behaviors like appearing in the Sounds settings and being limited to the appropriate duration. The underlying codec (AAC) is the same one Apple uses for music, making the format distinction primarily organizational rather than technical.