Being able to choose your own ringtone on your phone is something that should be pretty easy, but not on the iPhone. Apple say that you can buy your ringtones through iTunes, but I’ve never found any on there. So how do you get round this? How do you get your own ringtone on your iPhone?
It’s actually pretty simple, and even more importantly its free and legal! All you need to create your own ringtones is iTunes on a PC or Mac and a song in either MP3 or AAC format that is DRM free. DRM files are normally songs that have been purchased online from places such as the iTunes Store, or imported to your computer using Windows Media Player.
Change import Settings to AAC
Before you start, you need to check some settings in iTunes. In the Preferences window, click on “Import Settings” on the General Tab and make sure that “import using” is set to AAC Encoder.
Show File Extensions
This step is important! If you’re on a PC, you’ll need to make sure that you can view file extensions (music files should show .mp3 or .m4a after the filename). If your PC doesn’t, you can change this by opening your “My Documents” folder, and clicking Tools-> Folder Options. On the “View” tab, you should see an option “Hide extensions for known file types,” Make sure that the box next to this is not ticked, and then hit ok.
Right, now for the fun bit. Find the song you want as your ringtone and play it in iTunes. iPhone ringtones can be a maximum of 30 seconds long, so you’ll need to know the start and end points for the song clip that you want to use, so play the song, and write down how many seconds there are to the part of the song you want as your ringtone. You’ll need the end time too, but this can only be a maximum of 30 seconds.
Select Start and End Times
By now, you should have the start and end points of your ringtone. Right click on the song in iTunes, and select “Get Info”
When the iTunes preferences window opens, you will see 7 tabs across the top, click on the options tab. You’ll see there is a space to enter start and stop times. Put in the times you wrote down earlier and make sure that both boxes are ticked – then hit “OK”.
UPDATE: Thanks to Dean and Snatch for pointing out that you need to ensure that you use : to seperate minutes and seconds, and not a full stop!
Create AAC File
Right click your song again, and this time select create AAC version (or similar.)
UPDATE: In the latest version of iTunes (Version 9.1) the ‘create AAC version’ option has been moved from the right click menu to the ‘Advanced’ menu at the top of the screen.
You should then see a second copy of the song appear in your iTunes music library. In order to change it to a ringtone you’ll need to drag this file to your desktop. You can then delete the 30 second version from iTunes and un tick the start and stop times on the original song.
Rename file to .m4r
Go to the file on your desktop and you should see its called “songname.m4a”. Right click it and choose “rename,” all we want to change here is the .m4a to .m4r. You can rename this song if you want, but the filename must end .m4r
iTunes Ringtone Library
That’s it! All you need to do now is double click the file to add it back to iTunes. If you click on the Ringtones link in the side panel, it should now be listed as a ringtone, rather than a music file.
Sync your iPhone with iTunes
All that is left is to sync your iPhone with your computer. If it doesn’t sync over straight away, make sure the “Sync ringtones” option is selected when your phone is connected.
UPDATE:A few people have had a problem with the ringtones showing in iTunes in the ringtones section, but they aren’t syncing to the phone. To fix this plug your phone in, and on the options screen, uncheck the ‘Sync Ringtones’ box, hit apply and then sync your phone. Once it’s finished, disconnect and re connect your phone. Go back to the options screen and re-check the ‘Sync Ringtones’ box and sync again. This resets the sync information in iTunes and your phone and your ringtones should now show up on your phone.
Download a printable instruction sheet (PDF: 300kb)
Give it a try and let me know how you get on – Got any great ringtones that you want to share with the world? Leave your comments below with the Song title and start/end times and share your creations!
Hi Sharon,
you need to change your settings so that it shows file extensions. by adding .m4r on the end, you’re actually calling the file ringtone.m4a.m4r.
you need to you change the view settings, by opening your “My Documents” folder, and clicking Tools-> Folder Options. On the “View” tab, you should see an option “Hide extensions for known file types,” Make sure that the box next to this is not ticked, and then hit ok.
it should then show up on your desktop with both extensions, rename it again and re add to itunes.
it all went fine till I dragged to the desktop. It didn’t end in m4a or anything…just had name of the song on it. I added .m4r but it went back to songs not ringtones. what am I doing wrong?
Sounds like your computer isn’t recognising it as a ringtone, double check the first part of this about viewing the file types, if its not set correctly, it might be naming the file as songname.m4r.m4a?
Double check the Folder Settings part and let me know how you get on
hello i cant get the m4r file into the ringtone folder it comes back on the music folder in itunes how do i move it????
Its not essential, if you use a PC its not so easy as it is on a Mac, and depending on the file you use, the information will be filled in for you already – mine did using my work PC.
The m4r file needs to have an album and artist. Right click the ringtone, get info, etc
Hmm, not come across that one before! Have you tried resetting your iPhone? Sometimes it might need a reboot to see them – try holding down the menu button and the sleep button until the phone turns off (keep them pressed when the “slide to power off” appears)
Hi, I got one to work then copied 3 others. They show in ‘Ringtones’ on the Iphone in iTunes but are not available in Sounds/ringtones on the phone. Any help would be great.
W
oo well, went back through the steps and answered my own question!, very useful thank you
I have follwed all the steps but when i see my new 30 second song on my desktop it just says the song name with a 1 on the end and not .m4a so i cannot change it to .m4r!
Where is it you’re getting stuck? When you right click the file and choose get info, does that box thats shown above open up? can you click on the options tag?
hi ya i cant get the boxes where it says music to work so i cant input any numbers from the start to the finish any ideas?
Thanks so much….was really angry when was told couldnt create ringtones but you have helped big time! cheers
Ledgend! been waiting to do this for ages now my iphone is complete
Thanks again
Thanks Andy – wish others are as helpful as you
yes it does say that, i rename the song ending it with m4r.
Hi Foxy, it sounds like its not renaming it correctly, the file on your desktop, does that definately end .m4r?
done everything you said to change a song to ringtone i dbl click on the song from desktop but it keeps going back into the itunes music and not the ringtone file…??
help driving me batty
Hi Renee,
Glad it all worked for you!
It depends on how your iTunes library is handled as to whether you can delete the file or not. If all your music is organised by iTunes (its normally copied to an iTunes folder in your “my music” folder) then yes, you can delete it and it shouldn’t disappear off your phone next time you sync.
If iTunes doesn’t manage your library, then there is every chance you’ll get an error message saying it can’t find the file if you delete it.
If you want to check how your library is set up, open the preferences window, (step 1) and then click on the advanced tab. You need to check the location of your itunes music folder and make sure that the keep iTunes folder organised is checked.
If in doubt, move the file rather than delete it to start with, if you get no problems you can then delete it!
Hope that makes sense!
Hi
Thanks – great – a simple quick clear way that works.
Do I have to leave the ringtone files on my desktop or can they be moved or filed in a folder?
Now just need to get picture messaging and delivery receipts and it’ll be almost perfect!!!
Excellent – worked first time – now have my own Ringtones. Shame why Apple don’t cooperate
Hi
Thanks for posting this after numerous phone calls to Apple and o2 about this and both parties saying it is impossible to do, then we come across your website that explained it simply and it worked, but did have the same problem to start with by using a dot instead of :. Great help, Thanks alot
Ah! yes, probably a combination of both – I still cannot even get the computer upload the Viva la Vida track I wanted to use; when I upload the CD it changes that track to zero length… puzzling!
Thanks for the explanation re the timings Dean – I must have corrected that without knowing it I guess.
Cheers both!
Ahh it looks like you are putting a . rather than a : to separate the minutes:seconds:milliseconds and the example you put above 0.00 to 0.00.15 is for 15 milliseconds.
Hope this helps?
Excellent! really glad its all working!
must have been something with the audio files you were using?!
glad its sorted tho :)
Hey, I DID IT!!!! Thanks for all your help Andy and then Dean…. the songs I wanted to put on it just wouldn’t handle at all but I managed to do it with another one.
I will sleep tonight now! Thanks again!
PS when I tick both boxes, it won’t save the tick in the start box – only the end time is saved.
Not a silly question at all. I wanted the first 15 secs so I put 0.00 to 0.00.15
However when I do that, it changes the track to a zero length one in the list, and moves on to the next one when I try and play it.
Are you uploading an AAC file or an MP3?
This may sound like a silly question but have you got the correct format for start time and finish time (ie 0:00 to 0:30) and ticked both boxes? Just a suggestion?
Yes, I did that too – but you will see all the problems I have had – the main one being it wouldn’t save the start and stop times when I clicked OK. Even when I got that done, and it was in Ringtones as an m4r file, it wouldn’t sync !
Wow – glad I came across this – worked first time and I can now have some better tunes on my iPhone than the default ones! Thanks for this post! One thing I noticed though is, when you delete the 30 second version of your track, my PC popped up a box asking if I wanted to ‘move to recycle bin’ or ‘keep file’ as I haven’t ticked the box to remember this action. You need to move to the recycle bin for it to work ;)
Well when I went to it it said it was an M4a which is obviously wrong – beforehand it was an m4r. Uploaded the whole CD again but believe it or not, when it came to the track I want, it listed it as 0:00 long!! So it hadn’t uploaded that track from the CD at all, to the computer.
Think I will give up for now – it is way too frustrating… very disapointed after all the money I spent on the iphone not to be able to have itunes do ringtones for us here in the UK.
thanks for all your help but I must be doing alot wrong here.
Not sure, unless its looking for a file thats been moved. If you’ve not got iTunes organising your music collection, it might still need the file on the desktop.
right click the ringtone and click get info, on the summary tab, it should show the file location at the bottom of the window. Just check to make sure that the .m4r file is still where it thinks it is. If not, you’ll need to find it and add it to itunes again.
let me know if that works
Hi, thanks. Now I am finding that it says it cannot transfer the ringtone because it cannot find it! It is listed in the ringtones folder though and is the right file format.
No idea how I did the start and stop times right, isn’t that annoying when you finally do it but don’t know what you did right!
Nearly giving up – going grey here… why can’t it find it do you think?
No worries, its what I’m here for! its good that its now showing in your ringtones library. Once you’ve ticked the sync ringtones box, you’ll need to make sure you hit the apply button in the bottom right corner, and then disconnect and reconnect your iPhone.
Mine took a little while to sync over too.
Any idea what changed for you to select the start and stop times?
OK I have deleted the full version from the itunes files and the only version left on it is the 30 second one, in Ringtones. so far so good – but even though I have ticked it to sync ringtones, that is not downloaded to my phone. Sorry to ask again, but any advice?
Don’t know if you are still there or not but Imanaged to get Viva La Vida 30 second length, listed in Ringtones…. have synced the phone but it onlydownloads the full version.
Am I missing something? I have got the sync ringtones clicked and highlihgted the song – telling it to sync that one.
Once on the phone, should it appear in the Ringtones section? The full version of the song (which I don’t want) is in the music section.
Tried a couple – You’ll Never Walk Alone, first 30 secs and also Viva La Vida by Coldplay, 3 mins 11 to 3 mins 41
Hmm, thats a strange one!
What song are you trying to do and what start and end times? I’ll try it here and see if I have any luck!?
No, no luck I’m afraid. I have tried what you said and even over again following the instructions here with several tracks. The start and end times just don’t save when I click OK…. in fact the new song created in iTunes has a zero length to it… think I need a cup of tea… I am really disappointed with iphone in this respect – pay all that money and I cannot do what even my old Motorola phone could, i.e. create a music ringtone!
No worries, will be good to know if AAC files don’t work with it.
I’ll update the post if they don’t work!
thanks alot – i shall let you know how it goes. Thanks for helping this non techie!
No problem, In the Preferences window, click on “Import Settings” on the General Tab and make sure that “import using” is set to MP3 Encoder.
You shouldn’t need to change the quality settings.
Next time you import it should do it as MP3
oops! Forgot to ask, how do I change the import settings, because if I upload this CD track again it will probably be an AAC?
thanks, I shall have a go tonight!
If you’ve still got the CD, it might be worth importing it as an MP3 rather than AAC. If not, try it on an MP3 file see if that works.
The file I used for this was an MP3 and I had no problems with it.
To change iTunes to import as AAC, change the import settings to MP3 in the first step
Hi, it’s the latest version of iTunes and the file originally was, it says, AAC. It was one I uploaded to the computer from a shop bought CD.
Wonder if it is because it was an AAC in the first place?
(On the file I dragged to the desktop the start and end times were greyed out and I couldn’t amend them)
Hi Rider,
Not sure why its not working for you – what version of iTunes are you using and what format is the original song in – is it MP3 or AAC?
As a long shot, try setting just the end time and creating the AAC, then on the shorter AAC file, try setting just the start time and then create it…
Andy
I tried it and each step worked until I clicked on the start and end times for the clip of song I wanted to use; it would not save the clicked ‘start time’, only the end time remained clicked… therefore when I double clicked it from the desk top and opened it up in Ringtones, it was the full length of the track not just the clip.
Hope you can help? Thanks!