How to Create Ringtones for the iPhone on iTunes 9
IPhones use a custom ringtone format, ".m4r," which is a slightly different version of the standard ".m4a," or AAC, format used in iTunes, iPods and other Apple devices. Creating your own iPhone ringtones in iTunes 9 is a multi-staged process requiring work in and out of iTunes to edit the length of your song, converting the file and re-importing it into the program. Since iPhones generally have a 15- to 40-second limit on ringtone length, determine which part of a song you want as your ringtone before you begin.
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Instructions
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Editing and Converting in iTunes
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Open iTunes 9 and locate the audio file you want converted to the iPhone ringtone format. Right-click its icon and select "Get Info." Press the "Options" tab.
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2
Put check marks next to the "Start" and "Stop" times in the middle of the screen. Enter the minute and second you want your ringtone to start at -- for example, "1:15" -- and the minute and second you want your ringtone to end (see Tips). Remember that you can only have between 15 and 40 seconds of song as a ringtone. Click "OK" to exit to the iTunes library.
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3
Click the "Edit" menu option or "iTunes" if on a Mac and select "Preferences." Click the "General" tab and press the "Ringtones" button in the "Show" panel.
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Click the "Advanced" tab and press "Import Settings." Choose "AAC Encoder" from the drop-down box at the top of the window. Press "OK" twice to exit to your library.
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5
Right-click the song you previously edited and select "Create AAC Version." Your AAC file appears below your old file, now reflecting the proper "Start" and "Stop" times you chose.
Converting to M4R Format
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Right-click your newly created AAC file and select "Copy." Move your iTunes window aside, right-click your desktop and select "Paste" to copy the file to your desktop.
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Right-click the copied file on your desktop and select "Rename." If using a Mac, right-click and select "Show In Finder." Delete the ".m4a" file extension and replace it with ".m4r." Press "Enter" on your keyboard. When prompted by your operating system, confirm that you wish to replace the file extension. If your file extension does not appear when you select your song, see the Tips section.
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8
Go back into iTunes and delete the edited ".m4a" file from your library by right-clicking its icon and selecting "Delete." You must delete the file from your library. Empty your Recycle Bin or Trash if you're using a Mac.
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9
Drag and drop the ".m4r" file from your desktop into the "Ringtones" panel on the left side of the iTunes library.
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Tips & Warnings
When you edit a song's length, you are only editing the playback time, not the length. When you convert your song to AAC, the new file reflects the edited length change.
Change your computer's settings to show file extensions in Windows 7 by clicking the "Start" button in the lower-left corner of your computer's main screen and entering "Folder Options" in the Search field. Double-click the "Folder Options" button, then click the "View" tab and "Advanced Settings." Uncheck the "Hide Extension For Known File Types" button and click "OK."
This process does not work for copy-protected music bought from the Apple iTunes Store. Do not use this for DRM-protected audio.
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