[Michael Johnston]

This tip is outdated. Please see this new tip for updated instructions. We all know that the new iTunes adds the ability to create custom ringtones and buy them from the iTunes store. What you probably don't know is that you can easily add your own ringtones as well. By now I'm sure that, with great tools such as iFuntastic and iToner available, a large majority of us already have ringtones ready to go. For all you folks too scared to hack your iPhone, this is a great semi-Apple supported way of adding ringtones for free.

The first step is to find a song you want to make a ring tone. The easiest way is to use the technique from an earlier tip, grabbing them straight from the iTunes Store. Sure feels like sticking it to the man, eh? You can also take any audio you have, just as long as it's encoded in the AAC format (.m4a).

The next step is to rename said file to .m4r, which is the iTunes ringtone format. To do this on the Mac, go to the Finder Menu and click "Preferences". Go to "Advanced" and check "Show all file extensions". Once you've done that, you can freely rename your audio file to .m4r. You should be able to rename it in a similar way on Windows.

All you have to do now is drop your new file into iTunes, and that's it! Next time you plug in your iPhone, you'll have the audio you just added available as ringtones. You can sync all or some of them right through iTunes. No hacking required. Now that's sweet!

Update: In iTunes version 7.4.1 this method has been crippled. However, there is a work-around. After you've added your .m4r file, you will need to rename it to .m4a in the iTunes/iTunes Music/Ringtones/ folder. Once you do that, double click them again and they will work. To add more ringtones, you will need to follow the original instructions and then change your file back to .m4a. I'm not sure how this all works exactly, but there's something about this process that marks the file as a ringtone. Go figure.

Things I don't know about this method:

• How iTunes manages the ringtones
  
• How to delete them

Things I do know about this method:

• It only works with AAC audio files
  
• The .m4r extension is key
  
• Files are stored in iTunes/iTunes Music/Ringtones/
  
• This works on both Mac and PC
  
• It's really easy

Enjoy!

Update #2: Check out this new tip to see how to create free ringtones using nothing but iTunes.

Nope - doesn't work (at least for me)

I don't have iTunes 7.4. I am a PC user. Is this only on the mac?

[bboyredcel]

Awesome Tip!!

The ringtones will not show up in itunes until apple turns the feature on though, you should add that as a disclaimer, but if you follow this process the ringtones you create DO appear in the ringtones folder so I'm assuming once this thing gets activated they will show up in the ringtones library as well!

[chbphoto]

I just tried the transfer (Mac) - no problems when re-sync.

Further note -- ringtones previously created with iFuntastic were ALSO on the iPhone - they were not affected by the 7.4 update.

it works for me!! if your file is an mp3 you can change it to a .m4a by going into itunes and going under advanced and clicking consolidate to AAc which will let you use that song. Then do the finder stuff.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I don't have iTunes 7.4. I am a PC user. Is this only on the mac?

You need to go to apple.com, click on the iPod+iTunes link in the nav bar, and download the new iTunes 7.4 available for Mac & PC

[Spoon]

Originally Posted by chbphoto

I just tried the transfer (Mac) - no problems when re-sync.

Further note -- ringtones previously created with iFuntastic were ALSO on the iPhone - they were not affected by the 7.4 update.

That's because iTunes doesn't delete ringtones uploaded by iFuntastic and iToner, it simply erases a .plist file required for iToner to work. The iFuntastic method does not require plists, just proper ringer placement.

I installed 7.4 and I dont have a ringtone tab. My phone is still a 1.0 version though. Will this make a difference? If so, if I update will I have to activate it all over again?

[Spoon]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I installed 7.4 and I dont have a ringtone tab. My phone is still a 1.0 version though. Will this make a difference? If so, if I update will I have to activate it all over again?

You might have to update, I'm not sure. You'll only have to activate again if you've hacked your phone at all with jailbreak or whatever.

I downloaded 7.4, and changed the things to m4r, and put them back into the itunes folder...and nothing. I re-synced...and I have a new "ringtones" folder on iphone, but there aint nothin in it.

Any thoughts.....feelings......emotions?

[Spoon]

Originally Posted by James Blond

I downloaded 7.4, and changed the things to m4r, and put them back into the itunes folder...and nothing. I re-synced...and I have a new "ringtones" folder on iphone, but there aint nothin in it.

Any thoughts.....feelings......emotions?

You're supposed to drag the files to the iTunes app itself, not the folder. Just like you would if you were adding music

Tried many different ways... Did not work for me.

This is a post for the people that our having problems creating Ringtones with the updated iTunes (v 7.4). This is the way I am doing it. It is by no means the ONLY way, but it is a way that works for me as well as keep everything organized.

(1) Select your song. If you want to edit it (picking a particular starting and ending point) you can use the method described in earlier posts (see below) or with some free audio programs. I am on a MAC and like Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) but there are others.

(2) Create a folder titled "iPhone Ringtones" so you can keep track of all your Ringtones and come back to them if you need to. This also keeps all of your files neat and tidy and causes less confusion as to where your files are.

(3) If you are using the "itunes" method, select your original song in iTunes. Select "Get Info" in itunes. Click on the "Options" tab. Here you can increase the volume as well as select a starting and ending point for your song.

If you are using this method, you can skip step 4.

(4) If you are using an audio editing program, edit your song and then export as an AIFF or WAV file. Export the song to your "iPhone Ringtones" folder

(5) Open your exported song in iTunes. Select your song and right-click (if you don't have a right-click mouse, use control-click). Select "Convert Selection to AAC." This option is available to me because I have my settings under "Preferences/Advanced/Importing" to "Import Using AAC Encoder." Once it is done converting, right-click the converted song and select "Show in Finder." This will reveal where the song is located on your hard drive. Move the song to your designated "iPhone Ringtones folder" that I told you to create in step 2. If this is merely copying the file and not actually moving it, delete the original file if you don't want duplicates all over the place. Again, this keeps things nice and tidy.

(6) Delete the MP3 playlist file (the one you used BEFORE converting it to AAC) as well as the converted AAC playlist file from iTunes. This will keep iTunes from having several different directories for the same song, keeping things tidy and neat as well as keeping you from having a headache on keeping track of where everything is.

(7) Create a playlist on iTunes called "iPhone Ringtones." This is also for convenience sakes. It will help you have easy access to your Ringtones "playlist" and be the only place where iTunes keeps a directory of your Ringtones items (besides the Ringtones tab).

(8) In the finder, select the song you converted to AAC and press "Command-I" (or right-click and select "Get Info.") and IN THE GET INFO WINDOW (NOT the finder) change the extension of this file to "m4r" - IMPORTANT - Do NOT change the extension name in the finder. IT might appear as m4r in the name, but if you Get Info on this file, you will notice that the file now has TWO extension to it (i.e. "Start Me up.m4r.mr4") which REALLY confuses iTunes as well your iPhone.

**The song HAS to be in an AAC format FIRST before proceeding to renaming the extension. MP3s do NOT work. Repeat, MP3s do NOT work.

(9) Select your mp4 (lowercase works just fine) song and drag it into your "iPhone Ringtones" playlist in iTunes.

(10) Now sync up your iPhone, select the "Ringtones" tab. Select your songs and you should be good to go.

Hope this helps.

I have done all of what you stated in your email, but when I go to iTunes and to the Advanced in the preferences I can't seem to find anywhere where it will allow me to click a box that says, "show all file extensions" If there is something that I am missing or not going to the correct place, please let me know. Thanks.

Okay, I am the Unregistered that complained a minute ago but I figured it out. I did *not* have the Finder Preferences > Advanced > Show All File Extensions enabled...

This is key, even if your files show up with the .m4a extension, if this Finder preference is turned off, the file system will simply think you are renaming the song to "01 Songname.m4r.m4a"

Instead, make sure this Finder preference is enabled and I can assure this worked for me on my MacBook.

Originally Posted by Bruce

I have done all of what you stated in your email, but when I go to iTunes and to the Advanced in the preferences I can't seem to find anywhere where it will allow me to click a box that says, "show all file extensions" If there is something that I am missing or not going to the correct place, please let me know. Thanks.

You have to do it in Finder, not in ITunes.

Okay....

Now I have got the stuff in the Ringtones folder on Itunes....but none of them are showing up as options on Iphone.

Thoughts, feelings, emotions?

Originally Posted by James Blond

Okay....

Now I have got the stuff in the Ringtones folder on Itunes....but none of them are showing up as options on Iphone.

Thoughts, feelings, emotions?

Did you "check" their respective boxes and then sync your iPhone?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Did you "check" their respective boxes and then sync your iPhone?

I did indeed.