[Michael Johnston]

The iPhone makes voicemail super easy. From recording an outgoing message to listening to new voicemails, it just works. The only thing is, recording an outgoing message never turns out just right because it's being recorded through iPhone's tiny microphone. The way around it - upload a custom outgoing message to your iPhone.

To start, you need a suitable outgoing message. The iPhone stores voicemail audio in the Adaptive Multi-Rate format. Unfortunately, neither QuickTime nor iTunes will allow you to export the proper AMR file for this purpose. Instead, Craig recommends using Media Convert to make the conversion. Using the Media Convert site, choose the audio file to be converted and then select the output file. Choose "Adaptive Multi-Rate", accept the terms, and click "OK". When you're asked about a bitrate, use 12.2 kbps and leave the other option unchanged. If everything works, you'll have yourself an amr audio file.

Now here's the tricky part. In order to use the custom message, you need to trick the iPhone into uploading it to the AT&T server.

On the iPhone, go into voicemail and tap "Greeting". Record a few seconds of something and tap stop. Before you tap save, use iFuntastic or SFTP to navigate to /var/root/Library/Voicemail on your iPhone. You'll see a file called "Greeting. amr". This is the audio you just recorded. Delete that file and replace it with your custom message which should then be renamed to "Greeting.amr". Tap "Play" on the iPhone to verify your message works. If it plays, tap "Save" and your custom message will be uploaded to AT&T's servers.

Now that, my friends, is awesome. Thanks to iPhone Alley reader Craig K. for this tip!

Enjoy!

[Hans]

thats really cool, i'm gonna have to try that out

[chr1s60]

I find this to be kind of pointless. I don't want a song as my greeting and usually get annoyed when I call someone and end up having to listen to some song. I wish there was an option to simply record my name and let the message service do the rest. I am guessing this will be a big hit with the teenagers though.

[Hans]

that would be evil to make someone listen to a full song when they want to leave you voicemail
think ill record that barbi girl song onto mine, will cut down on stupid voicemail haha

This is not just limited to songs. How about some classic movie lines that would make an excellent greeting? Or record the admin at the office making a personalized greeting for you? Or just record yourself on your puter and have a better sounding greeting?

Look beyond the simple.

[Pepper]

Now and can have a high quality voicemail that says.... "hey, whats going on? (4 second pause)....cool....leave me a message". And get everyone mad at me because I made them talk to themselves.

[bboyredcel]

this can also be used for professional voicemails. If you use your iphone as a main line for your business, you can put a professionally recorded voicemail on your phone without having the voiceover artist stop by your house/office to speak your greeting directly into your phone. Instead you can just have them send you over an mp3 or aif of the recording and toss that up onto your phone and set it as your greeting.

its great.

[Pepper]

Originally Posted by bboyredcel

this can also be used for professional voicemails.

Ya, my example was a joke. I use my phone for mainly business, and i'm sure that would drive business away.

Thats genius!
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[bboyredcel]

for professional voicemails by a professional voice actor send an email over to Robert Braathe. Be sure to request pricing and his demo reel, but I assure you his abilities are TOP NOTCH!!

robert@galaconcierge.com

[unity]

Cool. I just did this and it worked great! Much clearer than the one I made via the iPhone its self!

Originally Posted by chr1s60

I find this to be kind of pointless. I don't want a song as my greeting and usually get annoyed when I call someone and end up having to listen to some song. I wish there was an option to simply record my name and let the message service do the rest. I am guessing this will be a big hit with the teenagers though.

If run OS X you can use the say command to create your message. You don't have to use music and this is not what the article is saying to do.

genius!

I tried to do this the other day, but I couldn't get it to work. I never thought of switching the files out before sending it. shoulda thought about that one. thanks a ton!

is there a pc version of these softwares?

I don't know if it's the conversion or what, but my final uploaded file has tons of warble. It sounds like an old used cassette tape. What did I do wrong?
Btw, I just a piece about changing your iPhone greeting and I mentioned your article as well as an alternative method via the 1/8th" port.
http://www.docpop.org/2007/10/11/dro...-dr-songs.html

[Chad Vader]

Originally Posted by DocPop

I don't know if it's the conversion or what, but my final uploaded file has tons of warble. It sounds like an old used cassette tape. What did I do wrong?
Btw, I just a piece about changing your iPhone greeting and I mentioned your article as well as an alternative method via the 1/8th" port.
http://www.docpop.org/2007/10/11/dro...-dr-songs.html

That's just what the format sounds like. No way around it

Just in case anyone comes across this via Google, like I did, the updated path to find where you are to upload Greeting.amr is /private/var/mobile/Library/Voicemail

Apple changed this a few updates ago and it took a few mins of poking through my directory structure to find it.

This is ONLY for people with a contract! This does not work on the AT&T gophone plan or with T-Mobile in the U.S.

[Justin Mellor]

Well I kind of would use this, but not in an annoying way. Like have a light background to my voicemail or something while I spoke.

Who knows though, there are some more ideas out there.

Very cool, very effective. Thanks for the instructions. Keep up the good work. People like u make the iphone evvvven cooler!