# Creating ringtones for the IPhone?

Category: Cell Phone Talk

## Post 1 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 0:23:45

I've heard others talk about doing this and so I decided to try my own hand at it. I used Goldwave to trim part of a song I want to use as a ringtone since I know the phone won't accept anything longer than thirty seconds or so. So I gave the file the correct extension for Apple ringtones but I'm not sure about the last step to actually convert it to the proper format. I do know that when I added the file to the ITunes library it simply put it in the music folder next to the original full length version of the song. So I'm wondering what the last step would be to do this so I can actually use the tone.

## Post 2 by Shadow_Cat (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 8:58:13

I too use GoldWave to trim the song I want. For that last step, I use a program called iRinger. You import the MP3 file into it, then tell it to convert, and then it exports it to the proper place in iTunes. Then you sync your phone, and it puts the ring tone where it belongs. I use an older version of iRinger, because it's extremely accessible. The newer version didn't look as accessible, but I haven't played with it extensively because the one I use works just fine. You could try it, though. Other than iRinger, I'm not sure how to do it. I'll be interested to see what other answers you get here.

## Post 3 by SilverLightning (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 11:29:10

You have to change the file type if my memory serves. I think it imports as mp3, but you have to change it to something else, I think its .r or something like that. I haven't done it in a long time.

## Post 4 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 13:18:46

But how do you do this?

## Post 5 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 14:07:44

Ad SisterDawn I wonder f I can still find the version of that IRinger you use and if it'd work with Window-Eyes. Becase that sounds like just the thing I need.

## Post 6 by SilverLightning (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 16:00:40

Go to the file in your windows explorer folder, not ITunes, and hit f2, then just erase the mp3 and type in .r. At least I think so, keep in mind I haven't done this in a year or so.

## Post 7 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 16:12:26

I think it's r4m. But that just changes the name of the file. It doesn't actually convert it as far as I know.

## Post 8 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 16:20:27

It doesn't. I just tried it.

## Post 9 by SilverLightning (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 16:54:03

Its not supposed to. You're just telling the IPhone to let you use it as a ringtone, not actually change the format. It reads it the same way. I have all my tones changed this way. I even added text message tones.

## Post 10 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 17:25:29

But will ITunes put the file in the right place for ringtones when I sync my phone? Just in case though I've been trying to locate that IRinger program SisterDawn told me about.

## Post 11 by OceanDream (An Ocean of Thoughts) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 18:00:12

As long as the file extension is m4a, it's literally as simple as changing the A to an R, which you can do by hitting F2 on the filename, or...I think it's return on the Mac. (mac users, correct me if I'm wrong), then change the A on the end of the extention to an r. then re-import the file to iTunes, and it will go to your ringtones folder, and then to your phone when you sync it.
If the file extention is not already m4A, find the clip in your iTunes library, right click, then select "create aac version". when the process is complete, you should be able to find the m4a file in your iTunes media folder, at which point you can proceed with the steps I previously described.
If you have access to iRinger, I'd use that, though. I have yet to try it out, but it sounds like it takes care of most of those steps for you. FYI, the file extention for ringtones, the one that will tell iTunes it's a ringtone and not a song, is m4r. You probably figured that out by now, but if not, that should be your end result.

## Post 12 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 18:03:25

It was mp3. So I changed it to m4r.

## Post 13 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 18:15:43

Well I tried that and it didn't work. I even tried changing the file extentio within ITunes and nothing.

## Post 14 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 18:43:45

I also forgot to point out that when I press F2 on the file I want to convert there's no extention shown on the end of the filename. I type .m4r but it doesn't do anything, even after I told ITunes to create an Ark version.

## Post 15 by SilverLightning (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 20:31:34

You have to have file tags displayed.

## Post 16 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 20:49:12

How do I change that.

## Post 17 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 20:58:25

Is this in ITunes itself or just in Windows? I have Windows Vista 32-bit if that makes a difference where this setting is.

## Post 18 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 23-Nov-2012 21:49:40

Well, I figured that part out and was able to change the actual extention. But when I synced the IPhone the file was nowhere to be seen on the phone.

## Post 19 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Saturday, 24-Nov-2012 0:03:47

Well, I've managed to create a few tones but it doesn't seem to work consistently, even though when I add the files to my library after changing the m4a extention to m4r it always calls them ringtones and indeed puts them in the tones playlist. But it seems to create a separate folder or created ringtones in ITunes Media and I'm not sure if that confuses the phone. But whatever te case it recognizes some of the tones but not all of them, even though according to ITunes I did everything correctly. I think I'll try IRinger and see how that process compares to this. Anybody know where I can get the most accessible version?

## Post 20 by synthesizer101 (I just keep on posting!) on Monday, 17-Dec-2012 8:52:26

It's not that difficult. First, some of your tones are probably long. If its greater than 30 seconds, even a millisecond longer, it won't sync. Also, you must display file extensions. This is a common sense move and should be default (but Microsoft and Apple decided otherwise). This is in the control panel folder options view tab. Anyway, your less-than-thirty-second clip must be saved as an apple m4a file. You can't rename it. You must have it converted. Then, and only then, do you change the a to an r in the extension. You import the file, and it will show up.

## Post 21 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Monday, 24-Dec-2012 14:13:18

Yes, I figured out how to make it display extensions so I could change them propperly, so that isn't the problem. Nor is the length a problem. None of the tones I created is more than 25 seconds long, going by what ITunes tells me. So that isn't the problem either. So I'm still not sure what the problem could be. Yet there were a few that the phone still didn't recognize despite ITunes recognizing them.

## Post 22 by Brooke (I just keep on posting!) on Sunday, 24-Mar-2013 9:44:46

After reading SisterDawn's post, I tried iRinger and it works perfectly. That would definitely be my suggestion; then again, I've been using an iPhone for less than a week, so there's a lot I don't know.

## Post 23 by Winterfresh (This is who I am, an what I am about. If you don't like it, too damn bad!!!) on Monday, 29-Apr-2013 23:33:00

Ok, so I'm gonna throw you all for a loop. How do you create ringtones on the mac?

## Post 24 by synthesizer101 (I just keep on posting!) on Friday, 17-May-2013 22:09:56

Same way. You fire up your sound editor of choice (audacity is good) and save your file as an m4a. Then rename it and drop it in. And to enable extensions it is in the view preferences of finder I believe (command + J).

## Post 25 by JerseyGirl1989 (Zone BBS is my Life) on Saturday, 18-May-2013 2:13:42

Aren't those apps where you can record songs accessible? or record parts of songs accessible?? Does the I-Ringer work with the droid phone(S) or is that something totally different??? Pardon my questions, as I have no idea how to work these things lol!

## Post 26 by changedheart421 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Saturday, 18-May-2013 12:57:31

Hello
I use gold wave to trim it and then switch plus to convert to M4A. Then I change the A to an R and we are good to go..

## Post 27 by starfly (99956) on Tuesday, 28-May-2013 21:06:24

On an android you can use your music that is on your phone natively but getting past that, thanks to who ever created this board I will go have a try to add ringtones to my Iphone 5.

## Post 28 by Thunderstorm (HotIndian!) on Friday, 28-Jun-2013 21:00:34

Bringing this topic on top, I tried converting ring tones as my own and I just got success with that.
1. trim the song or whatever to be converted and not more than 40 seconds. Im using IPhone 4s and it's accepting up to 40 seconds.
2. Open ITunes, select that trimmed song and right click and hit enter on convert into aac format. that will show you the same song below with m4a format.
3. right click that m4a song and hit enter on show on windows explorer.
4. select that song and hit f2 and delete the "a" at the end and type "r". Now your song is in m4r format which can be your IPhone ring tone.
5. from the ITunes, select tones in the tree-view and browse for that m4r file which you've created and hit enter on open. your ring tone is added to your ITunes. So now, if you're keeping it as automatic sink, your ring tone will be added whenever you're sinking your phone next time.
Correct me if I'm wrong. but this works me fine.
Raaj.

## Post 29 by Voyager (I just keep on posting!) on Sunday, 30-Jun-2013 23:27:34

My only problem: I cannot trim the song. In goldWave, under the edit menu, the trim option is always unavailable. How do you trim mp3s? I want to be able to specify two times (such as 0:00 to 0:40) from the original file and get a version that is only that piece of that file.

## Post 30 by Thunderstorm (HotIndian!) on Tuesday, 02-Jul-2013 12:44:46

ok. I tried pasting the jaws shortcut keys here. but that doesn't fit here so dono how to guide you further.
Raaj.

## Post 31 by Jack Off Jill (why the hell am I posting in the first place?) on Tuesday, 20-Aug-2013 15:43:03

I know this is a bit old, and I've done everything that you've guys advised on this board. But here lies my problem, I cant get the ringtone to sit in my ringtone side of my phone. It goes into my music folder, I changed the extention and everything, I've done everything, up to the sinking part I lose it.

## Post 32 by synthesizer101 (I just keep on posting!) on Tuesday, 27-Aug-2013 15:50:11

You need to enable the syncing of ringtones to your phone. I've never used iTunes on windows, but here are directions on the mac:
find your phone in the sources list (probably the same on windows)
go to the ringtones section under it, and check the box that says sync ringtones
resync your device from the file menu