This article explains how to buy an iPhone ringtone through the iTunes Store and how to create one from scratch. Once you have purchased or uploaded a ringtone, you can use it on your smartphone.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Buy Ringtones
Step 1. Open the iTunes Store from your iPhone
Tap on the shop application icon, depicted as a white star on a magenta background.
Step 2. Click on More
You will see this tab in the lower right corner of the screen.
Step 3. Tap on Ringtones
This is the first entry on the "Other" page.
Step 4. Find the ringtone you want to purchase
You can do this by scrolling down on the "Featured" page or you can tap on the tab Research, at the bottom of the screen, then type the name of the artist, song or film you are interested in.
Step 5. Click on the price to the right of the ringtone
If you have searched for a specific item, you must first press on the tab Ringtones at the top of the screen.
If you haven't already set up a payment method with Apple Pay, create one now before continuing
Step 6. Click Done when prompted
This button will appear at the bottom of the "New Ringtone" menu. If you prefer to assign the tone to only one person or function, you can select one of the following options:
- Set as default ringtone - you will set the selected ringtone as default for incoming phone calls and FaceTime calls;
- Set as default message tone - you will set the selected ringtone as the default alert for all incoming text messages;
- Assign to a contact - the phonebook will open, so that you can choose the contact to which you want to assign the selected ringtone.
Step 7. Enter the Touch ID or Apple ID password
When asked, scan your fingerprint or type in your Apple ID passkey. This will start downloading the ringtone.
Step 8. Wait for the download to finish
At that point, the ringtone will appear in your iPhone list.
You can also view it by opening Settings, scrolling down and pressing up Sounds & Haptic Feedback (or Sounds), then on Ringtone.
Method 2 of 3: Create Ringtones with iTunes
Step 1. Open iTunes
Click once or twice on this app icon, depicted as a multicolored musical note on a white background.
- If you don't have iTunes installed on your computer, download and install it before continuing.
- If a window appears inviting you to update the program, click on Download iTunes, then wait for the operation to finish. You will need to restart your computer after the update is complete.
Step 2. Find the song you want to use
Scroll through the music library until you find the song you want to turn into a ringtone.
Step 3. Play the song
Listen to the section you want to turn into a ringtone, noting the starting and ending points.
The ringtone cannot exceed 30 seconds
Step 4. Choose the song
Click once on the song to select it.
Step 5. Click Edit
This button is located in the upper left part of the window. Select it to open a drop-down menu.
Step 6. Click on Song Info
You will see this item in the drop-down menu Edit or File. Selecting it will open a new window.
Step 7. Click on the Options tab
It is located at the top of the new window.
Step 8. Check the "start" and "stop" boxes
You will see them both in the center of the tab Options.
Step 9. Change the "start" and "end" times
In the "start" field enter the exact time in which the ringtone must begin, while in the "end" field enter the time in which it must end.
You cannot create a selection longer than 30 seconds, so make sure that no more than half a minute elapses between the "start" and "end" time
Step 10. Click OK
This button is at the bottom of the window.
Step 11. Select the song
If the song is no longer selected, click on it again.
Step 12. Click on File, then on Convert.
You will find this item in the center of the menu File. Select it to open a menu.
Step 13. Click Create AAC Version
This is a "Convert" menu item. Select it to create a copy of the song of the length indicated by the "start" and "end" times. If you don't see this option, please complete the following steps first:
- Click on Edit (Windows) or on iTunes (Mac);
- Click on Preferences…;
- Click on Import configurations …;
- Click on the "Import with" drop-down menu, then click on AAC encoder;
- Double click on OK.
Step 14. Select the ringtone version of the song
Click once on the file that contains the shortened version of the song to select it.
Step 15. Open the location of the ringtone file
Click on the AAC version of the song, then on File, finally on Open in File Explorer (Windows) or Show in Finder (Mac). This will open the folder where the ringtone is located.
Step 16. Change the extension of the ringtone file to M4R format
At this point, the ringtone is an M4A file, which cannot be used as a ringtone on an iPhone. You can turn it into a real warning tone with the following method:
- Windows - enable the display of the file extension by clicking on View at the top of File Explorer and checking the "File name extensions" box. Right-click on the ringtone, then select Rename, finally replace ".m4a" with ".m4r" (for example, the file named "hello.m4a" would become "hello.m4r"). When asked, press Enter, then click OK.
- Mac - click on the file once to select it, then click again to change the name. Select the ".m4a" part of the file, then replace it with ".m4r" (for example, the file named "hello.m4a" would become "hello.m4r"). Press Enter, then click on Use.m4r when asked.
Step 17. Add the ringtone to your iPhone
To do this, open iTunes, connect the iPhone to the computer with a USB cable, then copy and paste the ringtone into the "Ringtones" section located under the name of the phone (if necessary, click on the name of the iPhone to show the section you are looking for).
Method 3 of 3: Create Ringtones with GarageBand
Step 1. Open GarageBand on your iPhone
Tap on the app icon, depicted as a white electric guitar on an orange background.
If you don't have GarageBand installed, you can download it for free from the App Store
Step 2. Press on ＋
You will see this button in the upper right corner of the screen.
- If a GarageBand project opens, you must first press the "Back" button at the top left of the screen.
- If a window appears with some folders and you don't see the button ＋ in the top right corner, tap on Recent in the lower left corner of the screen, before pressing ＋.
Step 3. Select Audio Recorder
Scroll left or right until you see this option, then tap on it to open a new Audio Recorder project.
Step 4. Press the sound bar icon
This series of vertical bars is located at the top left of the screen. Select the button to open a new audio track, which will appear as a horizontal bar.
Step 5. Click on +
You will find this button in the upper right corner of the screen.
This is a different button than the big icon ＋ at the bottom left of the screen.
Step 6. Click on Section A
This item is in the center of the screen. Select it to open the track settings.
Step 7. Change the "Manual" option from "8" to "30"
You can do this by pressing the up arrow above the "8", until "30" appears in the field.
This way, you make sure the track doesn't exceed 30 seconds
Step 8. Click Done
You will see this button in the upper right corner of the screen.
Step 9. Click on the "Loop" icon
This circle shaped button is at the top right of the screen. Select it to open a new menu.
Step 10. Click on the Music tab
You will find it in the upper right corner of the screen.
Step 11. Press and drag the song you want to use onto the timeline
Press the header Tracks, then press and drag the track you want to use to the bottom of the screen before releasing it.
The song must be saved on the iPhone and not in the iCloud library
Step 12. Select the part of the song you want to use
Drag the left bar along the track to the start point of the ringtone, then drag the right bar to the end point of the ringtone.
Step 13. Move the song to the beginning of the track
Press on the song and drag it to the left, until the left edge of the song reaches the left edge of the screen.
Step 14. Press the icon
It is located in the lower left corner of the screen. When you select it, a drop-down menu will open.
Step 15. Click on My Songs
You will find this item in the drop-down menu. Select it to save the song as a new project on the card Recent.
Step 16. Press and hold on the song
Press on the song for a few seconds, then lift your finger. A menu will appear above it.
Step 17. Click on Share
This item is located in the menu. Select it to open the Share menu.
Step 18. Tap on Ringtone
This is the bell icon in the center of the screen.
If a message tells you that the song needs to be shortened, click on Continues in the window that appears before proceeding.
Step 19. Rename the song
Tap on the "Ringtone Name" text field at the top of the screen, then replace "My Song" with the name you want to assign to the ringtone.
Step 20. Click on Export
You will see this button in the upper right corner of the screen. Select it to add the ringtone to your iPhone library.
It may take a few minutes to complete the operation
Step 21. Set the ringtone
Once you have added it to your iPhone, you can select it in the section Ringtone of the menu Sounds and haptic feedback (or Sounds) in Settings.
