How to make your own iPhone ringtones

By Joseph Hanlon on 07 August 2008

If the back of teen music magazines are to be trusted then we can safely assume that mobile phone ringtones are big business, and, if you were the new kid on the block selling mobile phones, like Apple, you'd be crazy not to charge a motza for these audio snippets.

This doesn't mean we should have to pay for them. After paying higher than average prices for iPhone contracts, are you really about to fork out more money for 15-second clips of your favourite songs? We don't think this is fair and to right this injustice we show you how to make your very own iPhone ringtones for free. All you'll need is an iPhone (of course), iTunes and a swag of MP3 files.

  1. Open iTunes and select your favourite MP3 audio file.
  2. Right-click (Cmd-click for Macs) on this file in your library to bring up the context menu.
  3. Select Get Info

    4. Click for larger image

    This will open a new dialogue box showing various details about the audio file. Select the Options tab.

  4. Check the boxes next to both Start Time and Stop Time and enter the times you want your new ringtone to start and stop (the maximum length is 40 seconds) then click OK.

    5. This will return you to your music library.

  5. Right-click (Cmd-click) on the same music file again and this time select Convert Selection to AAC.

    6. iTunes will process this briefly and insert the new ringtone-sized file under the original file in your library.

  6. Right-click (Cmd-click) on the newly created file and select: "Show in Windows Explorer (or Finder on a Mac)"

A new dialogue box will open showing you the location of this file. Select the file and rename it, changing the file extension from ".m4a" to ".m4r". Windows will warn you that this change may make the file unstable, but continue anyway.

Back in iTunes, delete the ringtone file you've created from your library, then import the renamed '.m4r' file into your library. Connect your iPhone and sync your playlist. You may have to manually drag the .m4r file into the Ringtones section on your iPhone. With your iPhone synced this file is now ready to be used as a ringtone.

Topics: 3g, apple, iphone, itunes, mobile phone, mp3, ringtone, file, itune, click

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Comments (156)

  • Danni commented on 10/12/2009 13:42

    how do you rename the m4a, its not in the name?

  • delta commented on 09/12/2009 19:25

    Why not make it so much easier on yourself and go to

    http://audiko.net

    you'll have your ringtones on your iPhone in under ten minutes!!!!! It's free and very easy to use. No changing file names and messing aroung. just upload song, select your 40 sec ringtone then download it straight to iTunes. Sync your iPhone and... You're done!!!

  • Dino commented on 09/12/2009 17:20

    its doesn't work i can't change the m4a because it doesn't appear in the title!

  • Danni commented on 10/12/2009 13:21

    mine doesnt show either, did u figure out how to change it?

  • joey commented on 08/12/2009 20:03

    check here for free iPhone ringtones that I have made

    http://iphone-ringtones.weebly.com/

  • Jondalar commented on 08/12/2009 13:35

    OK I figured it out, it only works on the one comp you synch with. The AAC file must be under 30 sec, 29 works. The name must not be too long or won't show on phone. Finally must drop onto top level of phone in itunes, not below.

  • Jondalar commented on 07/12/2009 17:07

    It works in so far as the ringtone appears in ringtones in iTunes but it won't let me drag it onto the iPhone (32Gb 3GS running 3.1.2) Anyone know how to let this happen?

  • Jondalar commented on 07/12/2009 16:59

    It works in so far as the ringtone appears in ringtones in iTunes but it won't let me drag it onto the iPhone (32Gb 3GS running 3.1.2) Anyone know how to let this happen?

  • cam commented on 07/12/2009 15:36

    Ok, for the people finding there is no "Convert Selection to AAC", I'll explain how I fixed this on a PC machines (just use same options on Mac). Click Edit->Preferences. On the general tab, about halfway down you have your CD import options. Click import settings and change "import using" to be AAC. Mine was set to MP3 and the "Convert selection to AAC" option (referred to in the original article didn't appear for me until I changed this).

    ALso, once you rename to .m4r and add it back to your library, I don't think you see it come up under music, but look under ringtones and it'll be there :)

    It does work, there were just some assumptions made in the original article and some ambiguity about the steps.

  • Audiofox commented on 07/12/2009 09:19

    if you don't want your phone to ring with a song there are lots of nice ringtones available for free at www.iphoneringtones.ca

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