What is a .m4r file?
A .m4r file is an MPEG-4 ringtone. Its registered MIME type is audio/x-m4r, which places it in the audio family of formats.
Technically it is a specialised form of video/mp4 (the .f4v format), so tools that understand that format can often read at least part of it.
M4R is a binary format: the contents are not readable text, so opening it in a text editor shows scrambled characters.
M4R file format details
| Extension | .m4r |
|---|---|
| Format | MPEG-4 ringtone |
| MIME type | audio/x-m4r |
| Category | Audio |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| Based on | video/mp4 |
| File signature | None fixed |
| Registered with IANA | No |
| Other extensions | None |
How to open M4R files
| Windows | VLC media player is free and plays almost every audio and video format, M4R included in most cases. Media Player and Films and TV handle the common ones. |
|---|---|
| Mac | QuickTime Player plays formats Apple supports. VLC or IINA play most others. |
| iPhone and iPad | The Files app plays formats Apple supports. VLC for iOS plays most others. |
| Android | Most gallery and music apps play common formats; VLC for Android plays almost everything. |
Convert M4R files
TapToConvert converts M4R files in your browser, without uploading them. Open the M4R converter, or go straight to a conversion:
M4R file FAQ
What is a .m4r file?
A .m4r file is an MPEG-4 ringtone, with the MIME type audio/x-m4r.
How do I open a .m4r file?
VLC media player plays most audio and video formats on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.
Is a .m4r file safe to open?
M4R files hold data rather than programs, but any file from an unknown source can be crafted to exploit the software that opens it. Keep that software up to date. The viewer on this page only reads the bytes and never runs anything.
What is the MIME type of .m4r?
audio/x-m4r. Web servers send this type so browsers know how to handle the file.
Is M4R a text or binary format?
Binary. Its contents are not readable as text.
File type facts come from the IANA media type registry, the mime-db project and the freedesktop.org shared MIME database.