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Rizwan Ashraf

How to Create Ringtones using iTunes and Transfer to iPhone

Create iPhone ringtones free by using iTunes and music files that you have on your computer; you don’t need to pay for iPhone ringtones. Just follow the guide below to create iPhone ringtones and then transfer to your iPhone for free. This method works on both Windows and Mac.

Requirements

  • Download and install iTunes
  • Song or Music file that you want to convert into ringtone
  • Don’t use music file downloaded from iTunes Music Store these songs have DRM (Digital Rights Management).
  • Only use those songs downloaded form DRM-free (P2P, Amazon, etc.) or ripped from a disc.

STEP-1

Open music file in iTunes that you want to convert to iPhone ringtone. Play the file and note down the start and end time of your favorite part that you want to extract form music file (Make sure it is not more than 40 seconds).

STEP-2

right-click on the music file and select Get Info

STEP-3

Under the Options Tab, enter Start time  and then Stop time as well. Press the OK button. For example, I want to create first 30 sec ringtone, so the Start Time is 0:00 and Stop Time is 0:30

Note: Make sure ringtone time is not more than 40 seconds. Otherwise, you could not sync with your iPhone

STEP-4

Right click on music file again and select Create AAC Version
OR
Choose the file, click on menu Advanced and select Create AAC Version.
OR

See: how to enable Create AAC Version option?

on Mac OS X:

  • iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > Importing and change the Import Using drop down menu to AAC Encoder.
  • iTunes > Preferences > General > Import Settings button and change the Import Using drop down menu to AAC Encoder.

on Windows:

  • Edit > Preferences > General > Import Settings button and change the Import Using drop down menu to AAC Encoder.

This will extract and create a new AAC version of file as shown below

STEP-5

Drag and drop that new file on your desktop
(In Windows you can Right-click on new file and select Copy and then on your desktop right-click and Paste)

STEP-6

Change the file extension from .m4a to .m4r
If the extension of the file is not showing after the file name.

See: how to show file extensions?
Open Folder options
Windows XP
Double-click on My Computer.
Click on the Tools menu athen Folder Options.
Windows Vista/7
Click on Start Button.
Type Folder Options in Search field and click on Folder Options above in Search results.
Windows 8
Hid windows key from keyboard and type Folder options, select Folder options from results.
Show file extensions
This step is same on all Windows versions: Click on View tab and un-check the Hide extension for known file types option in Advanced settings
Click OK button
See: how to rename files?

on Mac OS X:
select file and then click on its name and change the file extension from .m4a to .m4r and hit return from keyboard, this will prompt Click Use .m4r button

on Windows:
Right-click on the file and select Rename change the file extension from .m4a to .m4r and hit enter, this will prompt Click Yes button

STEP-7

Now we don’t need AAC version file in iTunes so delete it, Right-click on AAC version of file select,Delete This will prompt for confirmation hit Remove then Move to Recycle Bin/Trash

Transfer Ringtone to iPhone

We made ringtone successfully and copied it on the desktop. Now we need to transfer it to iPhone.

STEP-8

Make sure you can view left-panel and the main Menu of iTunes.
If the left pane is hidden in iTunes press Ctrl+S keys, show it.
If the main menu is hidden press Ctrl+B to show it.

Make sure Tones, or Ringtones option is showing under the section Library on the left-panel of iTunes (see screenshot below).
If not, click on the Edit menu select.Preferences On this window under General tab find and check the Tones or Ringtones check-box (according to iTunes version) and click OK button.

Now go to desktop where you saved ringtone file, double-click on the file, This will automatically added to Tones / Ringtones section in your iTunes.

STEP-9

Connect your iPhone to computer, browse the device from iTunes and sync the Ringtones

After sync completion of iPhone ringtones, check the new ringtone in your iPhone under Settings > Sounds > Ringtone

Note: Don’t forget to restore the STEP-3 to original start and stop time. To do that un-check both check boxes of Start and Stop time and hit the OK button.

Please leave your feedback, or If you find a problem in making a ringtone, please reply here below in comments form so we can help you to create iPhone ringtones.

See more iPhone Guides:

Related Content

Categories: iOS
Tags: iPhoneiTunesRingtones
Rizwan Ashraf:

View Comments (468)

    • Hi there, your guiding steps were amazingly clear and easy to follows and I am now have some fantastic ringtones in my iphone. You made my day. Cheers, Jon.

    • your instructions are as great as everyone else's except that yours and no-ones seem to work on my computer with ITunes 9.1! there is not an option to "Convert to AAC" in Itunes 9.1.
      step 1. right click song and select start and stop times, got it! step 2, after clicking ok you right click again and click "convert to AAC, not possible! that option is not present! any other ideas?

      • Step4 is Select file and click on iTunes "Advanced" menu and select "Create AAC Version".

        • I read through every comment. I still can not get the convert to acc option. I have changed folder options, gone in through advanced, tried the ringtone box. wtf I feel so stupid. I have been trying to convert my ringtones for months. What am I doing wrong? Please respond.

          • Its 100% working, Do it step by step.
            First select file from list and then find "Convert to ACC version" option under "Advanced" menu

          • I don't have the option (anymore) of "create AAC file" either! I only have "create AIFF version", and after I go through everything else and create the m4r file, and go to itunes and import the file, it refuses to show up in itunes! Not in the music library, and NOT in the ringtones library. :0( I think it's because I have itunes 10.

            I've created ringtones in the past, but can't seem to anymore.
            BOO!!

          • OK ok... my bad. I changed the settings in itunes to create AAC files when I import. HOWEVER... I created a ringtone, changed the extension to m4r, the file is IN THE RINGTONES FOLDER, but it will STILL NOT show up in my ringtones in itunes?! WTH?

          • I have a similar problem,kinda similar, In itunes the box on left side (the box where i should have RINGTONES) i don't have ringtones :S

          • Try making your ringtone only 30 seconds. I was having the same problem with ringtones I was making 36 and 40 seconds long. Once I changed them to 30 seconds they synced straight away.

    • Genius, works a treat and easy to follow. 1 suggestion I would make is to create a new folder "My Ringtones" and copy the m4r's there then you can Add Folder to Library.

    • hihi! just want say a BIG THANK YOU!!! It is so simple and I so love my new ringtones ! :) Can these be converted for message tones as well please? Cheers!!

    • hey
      when i go to sync my iphone 4 there no ringing tone menu up the top to select is there anything i can change to get it up there

    • i get to the double click shortcut on desktop phase
      and all it does is play the file , it does not import to ringtones???

    • when i got to the ringtones menu, on my iPhone it doesn't show my custom ringtones... i followed each step exactly, and i tried it 3 times, is there any other way?

        • Im having the same problem. All the steps worked and when I plug my iphone into my itunes and I go to the ringtones folder, there it is. Then I disconnect my iphone and go to the settings,sounds menu on my phone and try to select the ringtone i just created, its not there. But it is when I plug it into my itunes. strange..any ideas??

          • Has anyone figured out this solution to this problem? I followed all the steps just like you and it doesnt show up as a ringtone in my settings>sounds>ringtones.. there are no "custom" ringtones even after the sync when it was in my iTunes... ugh

      • hey guys i had that problem, i solved it by realizing, i had moved my file to another folder and had to readd it from that location and delete the previous one i had added. hope that helps some or all of you

    • I can't even get the option to select start and end times in Itunes for my Iphone 4 on Verizon. Is there a way around this?

    • Thank you and it works for me. I've created 8 ringtones and all have sync into my iPhone4, but when I tried to select ringtone, only 2 were indicated, not the other 6. How could I select the other ringtones except these 2? I tried to delete the file from iTunes but it didn't work. I just can't delete the ringtone file from my iPhone. Please help

  • In step6 i have copied the ringtone file form itunes to desktop in windows, but the file extension is not displaying. Please help me to create ringtone form my iphone

  • I just use your provided guide to create free ringtones of my favorite songs for my iPhone, thanks a lot for sharing this fabulous post. Keep it up

  • i always use this iphone ringtone maker to create custom ringtones for my iphone 3g but costs (USD14.95):

    softdiggs.com/iphone-ringtone-maker.php

    it can turn virtually any music or sound sources into iphone ringtones.

    the site also offers a way to make free ringtones for iphone using only itunes.

      • i have tried everything on your eay to follow steps
        i also have itunes version 9.0
        BUT the ringtone is not syncing to my iphone
        WHY?!?!?

  • i am having problems with this method. the ringtone option on my itunes doesn't show like its supposed to according to the directions, any suggestions?

    • In step-4 if you didn't find the option 'Create AAC Version' in iTunes 9
      Go to iTunes menu > Preferences > Advanced > Importing and change the 'Import Using' drop down menu to 'AAC Encoder'.
      Now you will find that option while you performing Step-4

    • I had the same problem but it's easy to fix:
      In Itunes, go under Edit then Preferences and under the General tab, click the Ringtone box.

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