iPhone

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, library

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Comments (54)

  • liv commented on 09/07/2009 10:31 Report abuse

    i convert the file to m4r but it the file still remains m4a. then once back into the libary it still wont let me transfer to ringtones folder.. HELP

  • annablack commented on 08/07/2009 17:49 Report abuse

    why not try a progrm to help ypi

  • annablack commented on 08/07/2009 17:46 Report abuse

    Have been looking for a way to make your own iPhone Ringtone? Now with the released of [b][url=http://www.iphone-ringtone-maker.us/mac/iphone-ringtone-maker-for-mac.html]iPhone Ringtone Creator for Mac[/url][/b] and [b][url=http://www.iphone-ringtone-maker.us/windows/iphone-ringtone-converter.html]iPhone Ringtone Converter[/url][/b], no matter you are Mac or Windows user, make your own unique iPhone Ringtone is so easy! [img]http://www.iphone-ringtone-maker.us/windows/iphone-ringtone-mw.jpg[/img] Aiseesoft iPhone Ringntone Maker for Mac provides the easiest and quickest way to create iPhone ringtone from video or music and transfer it to your iPhone directly. This Mac iPhone ringtone maker software supports converting almost all video/audio formats to M4R files and trimming video/audio to make the most colorful clip as your iPhone ringtone. It allows you to trim video/audio file and convert any preferred segment to iPhone ringtone. After making iPhone ringtone, the iPhone ringtone maker for Mac can directly transfer the M4R file to your iPhone as iPhone ringtone. Key function of these two iPhone Ringtone Maker [b]1. Convert music or audio files of any format to iPhone ringtone[/b]Almost all audio formats are supported including MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG, M4A, RA etc. You can easily make your own ringtone for iPhone. [b]2. Convert videos to iPhone ringtone[/b]It helps extract music from videos to M4R ringtone. The video formats supported include AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, FLV, MKV, H.264/MPEG-4, MOV, RM, M4V, VOB, ASF, 3GP, QT, MPV, etc. [b]3. Trim input file to get a clip to convert[/b]If you only prefer the most colorful music segment, then just drag and drop to get the segment and turn it into iPhone ringtone. [b]4.Directly transfer ringtone to iPhone[/b]There is no need to launch iTunes, just check Export to iPhone and it will automatically transfer the converted files to iPhone after the converting. [b]5. Build-in Player[/b]To help you check the music clip is just the very part you want, the Mac iPhone ringtone creator provides a built-in player to play it before converting. [b]6. Edit your Ringtone[/b]Using iPhone Ringtone Maker for Mac, you are free to edit the added iPhone ringtone by removing it or renaming it directly.

  • SQ commented on 08/07/2009 17:38 Report abuse

    Thanks Andy66 - handy info to know. That really sucks dude. I'm hoping somebody else will come up with a solution to this :)

  • Andy66 commented on 06/07/2009 07:54 Report abuse

    APPLE and their newly adopted Microsoft tactics have seriously pissed me off after being a faithful Mac user for 15 years! This is the most greedy and pathetic development that Apple has come up with ever. I am seriously disappointed with them now. THEY HAVE BLOCKED THIS TECHNIQUE by the way if you updated to the newest itunes.

  • SQ commented on 02/07/2009 22:13 Report abuse

    This has been the easiest instruction so far. I created the ringtones and it was in my iphone after I synced it but for some reason I lost it. I still have the ringtones created in itunes but everytime I sync, it doesn't work. What is happening?? What do I need to do?

  • DianaS commented on 30/06/2009 23:12 Report abuse

    thankyou so much. best way to understand how to do it. i tryed you tube but this was the best so far. xx

  • jon commented on 17/06/2009 15:52 Report abuse

    when I delete it from my itunes library it also deletes it from the finder

  • ozzy commented on 12/06/2009 11:09 Report abuse

    yeh listen to Willow, if you have any problems, dont just jump ahead and post a comment, read through the comments they explain it too

  • ozzy commented on 12/06/2009 11:08 Report abuse

    well i done it and it worked, only problem is for some reason i can only have one on the iPhone at a time.

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