new iTunes - How to Add Ringtones for FREE

[bretm]

An AAC is smaller compared to an MP3 of the same bitrate. Basically a 128kbps AAC sounds just as good as a 192kbps MP3. So using AAC gives you more songs for your space at equal sound quality. If you want to switch to AAC, I would re-rip your collection as AAC, NOT just convert your MP3s to AAC - then you are losing quality due to re-encoding. Only downside to AAC is that it is not as widespread as MP3 so you might not be able to use with (non-apple) devices.

Do yourselves a favor and use 256kbps for MP3 and AAC. 128 is really the bare minimum for listenable AAC audio. 256 is pristine. (by comparison)

Too many rips sound like junk at 128. The ones purchased from iTunes most likely have a little more personal conversion to 128 than just a simple encoding. The labels probably adjust EQ and volume to work better with 128. But just ripping CDs at 128 doesn't sound all that great sometimes.

 

[mediaboy]

I was having the EXACT problems with following all the steps and it not showing up.

Make sure in your importing section that you have 128 NOT 256.

Convert the file again through iTunes!

Yeee haw!

 

[viper1165]

can someone help me out

Surely there has to be more to it than that?

I am using a PC and I can get the file to convert to MR4 and see the ringtone icon, but when I open up itunes and go to ringtones i don't see the ringtone. Do I have to drag the file somewhere. Please help.

 

[bretm]

edit ringtone

Don't know if this works with standard QT, but at least with QT pro you can edit movies and audio files with simple copy and paste to make them under 30 seconds. No recompression occurs.

Open your long AAC audio file in QT. Navigate to the beginning of the portion for your ringtone. Press I (for in point). Navigate to the end of the portion for your ringtone and press O (for out point). I think ringtones need to be under 30 seconds. Then press cmd + c for copy. Then open a new QT player window and press cmd + v to paste. Save that file as a self contained movie to your desktop or wherever. Do a get info and change to .m4r. Right click file and choose to open in iTunes. It'll get copied to your ringtones folder. Resync.

Some other tips for folks having problems: Make sure in iTunes advanced prefs that you're using AAC. Make sure iTunes is setup to copy files to iTunes music folder.

 

[JW008]

Another problem I ran into was that as soon as I added the original songs back into my iTunes library, the ringtones would stop syncing.

i.e. I did Molly's Chambers by Kings of Leon as a ringtone and when I added the original .M4A file back in, it stopped syncing.

My workaround for this was editing the song down in GarageBand and then adding it back to iTunes with a different name: "Molly's Chambers(r)." This seems to work. Of course you can't do this with protected AAC files, but you can always burn it to a CD and then rerip it to get around that problem. Or I'm sure there are other ways to edit down the clip and change the name.

 

[mac_hine82]

If you don't use capital .M4R it will not work. Also you have to rebuild your Library if you want to delete them.

 

[bretm]

I am using a PC and I can get the file to convert to MR4 and see the ringtone icon, but when I open up itunes and go to ringtones i don't see the ringtone. Do I have to drag the file somewhere. Please help.

That should be m4r. Drag the file to iTunes icon or right click and choose to open in iTunes.

 

[bretm]

If you don't use capital .M4R it will not work. Also you have to rebuild your Library if you want to delete them.

Perhaps on PC? In unix (mac) extensions are generally lowercase, although it doesn't actually matter either way.

 

[mac_hine82]

Perhaps on PC? In unix (mac) extensions are generally lowercase, although it doesn't actually matter either way.

I'm on a mac and i tried to do this like 5 times and it didnt work till I used capitals

 

[bretm]

Another problem I ran into was that as soon as I added the original songs back into my iTunes library, the ringtones would stop syncing.

i.e. I did Molly's Chambers by Kings of Leon as a ringtone and when I added the original .M4A file back in, it stopped syncing.

My workaround for this was editing the song down in GarageBand and then adding it back to iTunes with a different name: "Molly's Chambers(r)." This seems to work. Of course you can't do this with protected AAC files, but you can always burn it to a CD and then rerip it to get around that problem. Or I'm sure there are other ways to edit down the clip and change the name.

Burning a CD is the only way I know of to remove DRM.

 

[bretm]

I'm on a mac and i tried to do this like 5 times and it didnt work till I used capitals

I've had no problems. Mine are all lowercase.

 

[LFrascogna]

Complete Information on How to Add Ringtones (Mac)

Since the original instruction is a bit light on details. Here is everything you need.

1. Convert the song you want to use as a ringtone to AAC 128kbps. OR if it is already in this format, duplicate it. Then, in iTunes, add an additional item to the title in the duplicate or new AAC (I just put “(ringtone)”).

2. Drag the file onto your desktop, and edit the file in another program. I have Sound Studio which is pretty easy to edit an AAC file and add a fade in/fade out, but apparently Audacity works as well. There is obviously a size limit on the file, but I don’t know what it is. However, if the file is too big, it will not show up on your “Sounds” menu on the iPhone. I usually edit the song down to about a 20-30 second clip and save it.

3. Click Apple+I (or right click “Get Info”). Change the file name from .m4a to .m4r in the “Name & Extension” section. When asked if you want to change the extension, select “Use .m4r;. Also change the file name to what you want it to show up as on your phone. For example, by default it will be . I deleted the song track number.

4. Drag the file into iTunes. Since the “Ringtones” feature isn’t completely enabled yet, it won’t show up anywhere in your Library, but once you Sync your phone, the ringtone will show up in a list under the “Ringtone” tab. You can manually delete the file from the Home > Music > iTunes > iTunes Music > Ringtones, but this won’t delete it from iTunes. For that you will have to re-create your iTunes Library which will reset all play counts and dates added. So just deal with the extra files until the feature is completely enabled.

5. After that, plug your phone up and click the “Ringtones” tab. You can choose to “Sync All” or select the ringtones you want. If it shows up in your Ringtones list in iTunes, but doesn’t show up on your phone, the problem is that the file size is too large. Edit it down and try again. Otherwise, click “Apply” and enjoy. No more Marimba.

 

[VoodooDaddy]

Got it to work. What Id done before was tried using the in/out setting in iTunes. I was using a 15sec clip from a song I had. I showed under the ringtones tab but not on phone.

I took the mp3 and used mp3trimmer to actually make a 15sec clip, converted to aac, and it worked.

5. After that, Sync it with your phone. If it doesn't show up on your phone, the problem seems to be that the file size is too large. Edit it down and try again.

This seemed to be my problem. Just using the in/out points within itunes didnt seem to work. I had to actually trim the song down to a 15 sec clip.

 

[jossshr]

For protected files, use Audacity to record them (i.e. press record in Audacity, then play in itunes)

Then you can edit them, export to mp3, convert to AAC and use as a ringtone. Not as difficult as it might sound.

 

[jgp1231]

I was having the EXACT problems with following all the steps and it not showing up.

Make sure in your importing section that you have 128 NOT 256.

Convert the file again through iTunes!

Yeee haw!

Same here. I had to re-encode a 192 Kbps file to 128 and after adding it back into iTunes and syncing it showed up on the iPhone. The full 3:27 3.2 MB song synced for me and played through as a ringtone as well.

 

[bretm]

Another problem I ran into was that as soon as I added the original songs back into my iTunes library, the ringtones would stop syncing.

i.e. I did Molly's Chambers by Kings of Leon as a ringtone and when I added the original .M4A file back in, it stopped syncing.

My workaround for this was editing the song down in GarageBand and then adding it back to iTunes with a different name: "Molly's Chambers(r)." This seems to work. Of course you can't do this with protected AAC files, but you can always burn it to a CD and then rerip it to get around that problem. Or I'm sure there are other ways to edit down the clip and change the name.

Why did you ever remove the original songs from your library? Simply make a copy and put it on your desktop. Edit it to 30 sec and save as aac file with .m4r and import to itunes.

 

[Sobe]

doesn't seem to be working for with Windows.

This is why $0.99 for a ring tone is no big deal. I really don't want to spend time troubleshooting a conversion and sync.

I just want it to work.

 

[scotty588]

Any audio gurus know the best setting for a fade in, fade out. I am using GoldWave to edit my clips on Windows. Here are the presets.

-12dB to 0dB, logarithmic
50% to full volume, linear
-90dB to 0dB, logarithmic
Default (-160.00)
Silence to full volume, linear
Silence to full volume, logarithmic

 

[parkds]

Has anyone figured out a way to get the Ringtones icon to appear in the Library section of the side pane?
I am guessing that would make the deleting issue a lot easier!

 

[mavidal]

How to delete a ringtone

Hi:

Easy enough to add one, but how do you get rid of one? I can't find a way and just deleting the file from the ringtones folder does not do it?

TIA

MV

 

[LFrascogna]

Hi:

Easy enough to add one, but how do you get rid of one? I can't find a way and just deleting the file from the ringtones folder does not do it?

TIA

MV

It seems that since this functionality isn't officially available, a Ringtones tab in the source list, that will appear next week or so, isn't yet available. You can re-create your library or just deal with the duplicates.

 

[VoodooDaddy]

Hi:

Easy enough to add one, but how do you get rid of one? I can't find a way and just deleting the file from the ringtones folder does not do it?

TIA

MV

Have to rebuild your itunes library.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93313

 

[iPhonatic]

I can't seem to get this work. I've got an mp3 file that I've changed over to M4R through getinfo. When I double click it, it does not get added to itunes. It tells me theres no default program to open this type of file. I'm on a mac. Any ideas?

 

[slffl]

I can't seem to get this work. I've got an mp3 file that I've changed over to M4R through getinfo. When I double click it, it does not get added to itunes. It tells me theres no default program to open this type of file. I'm on a mac. Any ideas?

Yeah, you need to convert it to AAC first. Right click it in iTunes.

 

[iPhonatic]

whoops.
ok so i did that, and its now in my ringtones list, but when i sync my iphone and go to sounds it does not appear on that list. should i be looking somewhere esle?