Make custom iPhone ringtones work with iTunes 7.4.1
Update: Amazingly, iPhone 1.1.2 update re-enabled the m4r-rename hack. This all works again!
I just tested it quickly by renaming a previous home-made ringtone file to m4r and double-clicking. It imported, synced to and played on my iPhone without any other steps.
Currently there are no known ringtone hacks for iPhone 1.1.1.
Apple, you’re pissing off your fans. Don’t do this. [we'll just be over here pretending you listened!]
This totally seems like it shouldn’t work.
If you’re seeing “cannot be played on this iPhone errors” like this:
![[file] was not copied to the iPhone](http://joemaller.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/cannot_be_played_on_this_iphone.png)
Open your iTunes Library folder and find the Ringtones folder: iTunes Music/Ringtones.
Select your ringtone and change the file extension back to m4a. Yes, m4a.
Sync again and your custom ringtone should be working on your iPhone. Nice.
Update: Confirmed for Windows XP & Vista
Thanks to commenter Robbie, building on steps from Jason Choi, here’s how to get custom ringtones working in Windows:
- Put m4r files into a ringtones folder on my desktop
- Opened iTunes
- Edit > Preferences > Advanced
- Check “Keep iTunes Music folder organized”
- Check “Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library”
- Create playlist called “Ringtones” in iTunes
- Drag the Ringtones folder from my desktop to the playlist I created in iTunes
- Made sure they appeared when in the list on the Ringtones tab in iTunes
- Opened the “Ringtones” folder that iTunes created in
\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Ringtones - Renamed all the m4r files to m4a
- Try to sync but it fails because it cannot find the m4r files (this is good)
- Look at playlist created in iTunes with a bunch of X’s next to each ringtone
- Double click each ringtone (hit browse for the file, and selected each m4a file from the folder in my
\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Ringtones) - Hit sync again
- Verify they are in your Settings>Sounds>Ringtones
OK, that’s just freaky.
This has been verified?
Just announced! Apple releases 7.4.2 . . . . .. wait, I’m getting word that 7.4.3 has actually been released as well. And word on the street has it that 7.4.4 will come out in 3 hours after that.
Too bad “real” fixes don’t come this quick.
Confirmed by posters at Engadget, MacRumors Forums and Digg.
worked on my iphone
Nope, didn’t work here.
Didn’t work here either
Make sure you’re changing the file extension in the Get Info window, otherwise you might end up with a .m4a.m4r file extension where the last part is hidden.
Also, this was only tested on my Mac, but lots of others have confirmed it works. I’m able to trigger the error or copy ringtones 100% of the time by changing the file name.
This fix does not work for all my old files, though it does for the new ones. Can’t tell why. I think it has to do with the fact that some of my ringtones were ALREADY named as m4a– I named them back before the .1 update. Those I can’t get to work.
In the meantime, people, do yourselves a favor and just jailbreak your phone, change all the account passwords, and then ssh new ringtones in.
I don’t even have a ringtones folder in my itunesmusic folder. What gives, I haven’t had any access to ringtones whatever, just a tab.
Worked for me…nice find.
Worked for me too!
I just tried it and it worked perfectly! Nice find!
are these being done on a pc or mac???? cause its not working on my pc….
WOOT!!!! this is awesome, now I can get my CTU ringtone back!
Urrgghh. Not working here at all. Can’t find a “Ringtones” folder, but I tried creating one myself in my iTunes Music folder and put my “m4a” file in there. But still no ringtones show up in the “Ringtones” tab on my iPhone.
If anyone can tell me what I’m doing wrong, please do!
(But I’m glad it’s working for others!)
Wally: I’m in the same situation as you are. I installed iTunes 4.1, then I tried to play with ringtones with the m4r trick. It didn’t work. So I found this website. I don’t have a Ringtones folder either, tried to create it, put a m4a file inside but it didn’t work. Any help? Thanks!!
Oh yea! You can put one more confirmed on the board. So easy. I imagine that this will for at least another day before they “fix” it. Comon apple, can’t you just let this one slide?? no? of course not.
Here’s my guess…mind you, just a guess.
This assumes you are starting with an AAC file that your renamed from M4a to M4r
There is a ringtone type assigned to iTunes “.M4r,” executing this ringtone type does a few things. The first time you ever execute one, it adds a Ringtone directory to your iTunes Music directory structure IF you have iTunes managing your music.
It also adds the ringtone to the Ringtone tab within the iPhone section of iTunes.
In 7.4.0, that’s all that was needed. The M4r files synced back and forth to your iPhone.
In 7.4.1 iTunes made the .M4r extension useful for “registering” a file as a ringtone, but also made it “incompatible” with syncing.
What file extension can ALWAYS be synced to any iPod like device? .M4a
Thus renaming the .M4r files that are now REGISTERED and LOCATED IN RINGTONES DIRECTORY to a .M4a extension bypasses the incompatibilty error trap that was added in 7.4.1
Someone please verify these steps and correct them if wrong…since I think folks will benefit from a stepwise procedure. Lettered steps are ones i’ve used for cleanliness an may not be required
1. Confirm iTunes is set to import to AAC 128
2. If the “to-be” rington is not currently AAC, convert it by right clicking
3. Delete the new aac file from the library ONLY
4. Locate the file and Move it to your desktop
5. Rename the file from xxxx.m4a to xxxx.m4r
6. Double Click on the file
7. Return to iTunes and confirm it is now in the iPhone ringtones tab, but no not Sync
8. Locate the file in your iTunes Music/Ringtones Directory
9. Rename file from xxxx.m4r to xxxx.m4a
10. Sync!!! All should be well.
One specific confirmation request for the community. Pleae confirm that there is NO NEED to double click on the newly renamed M4a file located in the Ringtone directory. It seems this messes things up, but I’ve seen it listed several times before.
I have a problem though. Under my iTunes/iTunes Music directory, there is no Ringtones directory but I have 6 ringtones transferred under 7.4.0 with changing the extension to m4r. Can’t delete them now. Anyone got a clue?
@26
First check to see if you have iTunes managing your music, if you do not, then you will not have a Ringtones directory.
Second, to delete the ringtones from you iTunes tab, you will need to recreate your music library. It sounds worse than it is. Check out the link:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93313
It is important that you look for those files otherwise iTunes will keep adding them back after you recreate your library.
First check back to the folder where you originally renamed them from .m4a to .m4r
You will want to delete or move those files to a flash drive if you are really wanting to get back to a clean starting point.
My guess is that you don’t have iTunes managing your music and clicking that switch will help things a bunch.
Where can we download the latest version that allows for this workaround ?
I’m running iTunes 7.4.1.2 on WindowsXP.
I can NOT seem to find an “iTunes Music/Ringtones” directory on my system.
I didn’t understand the comment about “check to see if you have iTunes managing your music”. Not sure what that means on Windows.
Thanks!
[...] iTunes 7.4.1 breaks this easy method, but someone might have another simple solution for you to try. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can [...]
Why not just use Ambosia’s application iToner?
@29
In iTunes Windows:
Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced
Check “Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized”
The earlier version worked fine for doing this, but even after starting fresh, totally starting over with iTunes version 7.4.1, this did not work on my Windows XP system synching to iPhone. I also tried just renaming the previously done ringtones and that didn’t work with this latest iTunes either.
@31
IToner only works on Mac otherwise I would use it. The folks at iphoneringtonemaker (pc) haven’t released a new version :-/
Beyond that…there is the simple matter that I believe iTunes should let me sync my personal “sounds” to my owned device.
All I want is my Kids’ laughing and yelling “Daddy” for a ringtone, why is that such a big problem for Apple?
@32 Thanks for the tip. That was already set for me. I tried unsetting it, close, and then setting it. Added an *.m4r file and still no Ringtones directory :(
So far, no joy.
Well I have a slightly different problem, I have three songs showing in the ringtones tab on iTune, all able to be selected/clicked, but only one shows up on the iPhone settings>sounds>ringtones section. Any idea why this might be?
@35
Do yo ualso have Edit->Preference->General set to “Copy files to iTunes folder when adding” If not, you should.
If all that doesn’t work, there is the slim possibility that 7.4.1 doesn’t create a ringtones directory, but that 7.4.0 did.
I’d do a search of the whole drive and see where all your .m4r files exist, that may give you a clue to what’s going on.
@36 I’ve heard of that problem if the files are too big or too long. I’ve never heard of a failure when the file was
We tried Joe’s 7.4.1 suggestion and NADA. So any other recommendations?
@25
That tip works great, I can confirm that it works on my Mac!
Works, I tried with my old (yesterday’s) Ringtones
The longest file I have is 29 seconds, the rest are around 20 seconds for ringtones. I at one time thought maybe the iPhone would only allow one ringtone.
Works here, and I never even tried to do this until after 7.4.1.
YOU HAVE TO MOVE THE FILE OUT OF THE RINGTONES FOLDER CHANGE THE FILE TYPE BACK AND THEN PUT IT INTO RINGTONES. IF NOT, THIS WILL NOT WORK.
Tip #25 works but….
Instead of just double clicking the file to add it to your library you need to use File > Add to Library
It works. Sometimes. With some files, it works perfectly. With others, I have to go through the motions (convert to AAC- if not already AAC, move file from library to somewhere else, change extension to m4r, import, change extension back to m4a in ringtones folder) multiple times to get it to work. However, it does work.
i get a file cannot be found when I go to sync after I do the rename and swap.
#25 worked great. Pretty good guess. Thanks Robert!
Do you guys evey get the feeling that apple is holding you buy your feet and trying to shake evey penny out of your pockets.. Just a thuoght. You guys are good at what you do with these work arounds.
Worked for me! Why did Apple even do this, when the workaround was so easy??
Well i kinda got it to work, well at least half ways. I got it to appear in the ringtone folder but it wont sync??? can any one help me please. i followed some of youe guys instructions above but still nothing… so please…!!!
Joe, when you say change the file info in the “Get Info” window… How do you even access that window? I’m on PC, but there’s no access to the ringtone m4r’s that I’ve added in iTunes. I can rename the file, but when I added the m4r’s, they don’t show up ANYWHERE in my Libraries/playlists.
How do you get to the m4r’s “Get Info” window to change the file extension?
If your iTunes library is on a networked drives, you might have problems with this procedure. I did, until I checked “Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library” (under Edit->Preferences->Advanced). After that, it worked perfectly! Thanks, folks!
Hi, Paul,
First right-click the filename, then select “Show in Windows Explorer”, then rename the file there. When you next double-click on the name back in iTunes, it’ll tell you that it can’t find the file and will open a dialog box where you’ll reselect the file with the new extension.
It is actually GOOD that you don’t see the file listed in the music library after you’ve added it. iTunes keeps track of it separately under the Ringtones tab in your iPhone directory.
I keep getting a ‘file could not be found’ when i try to sink :(
can anyone help?!
But when I drop in the m4r files, they don’t show up at all in the library to begin with, so there is simply nothing to right click in iTunes. =P
Unless… Do you drop in m4a files, rename to m4r in iTunes, then rename back to m4a again?
Ok guys this is frustrating and I could really use some help!!!
Here is what I am doing:
1) Created my 29 second mp3
2) Add to iTunes and convert to m4a
3) Delete both files from itunes library
4) Move file and change to m4r and double click
5) go into ringtones folder and change to m4a
6) try to sink and get ‘file could not be found’ error!
I’m experiencing the same issues as Francisco in 47. Same process, same result. Any idea if it’s just because I’m a Windows user?
1) Get the AAC file ready - short and small is best - YMMV
2) really rename it (get info window is needed on mac to be sure)
3) Drag / Import the M4R file - ensure it shows in iTunes as a ringtone
4) really find the M4R file that iTunes is referencing
5) really rename the iTunes file on disk back to M4A
6) sync your phone - there should be no errors
If you aren’t sure you are renaming the file or don’t know where itunes is keeping the song it thinks is a ringtone - you’ll be less than happy. Better pay Apple to do the heavy lifting for you ;-) This has been tested on several macs with 7.4.1
Ehh I know how to change a file format…
and I know that im selecting the right file because it shows up in my ringtones folder
Do i need to have the original song in itunes or is it because i am on a pc?
Have tried every way listed here, with no success. It shows up in the ringtones list, but then I get a message “file cannot be found”. It seems it might be a PC issue. If anyone has been successful on a PC, not mac, please let me know what you did. I’m running itunes 7.4.1.2. Thanks!
Can someone clarify here? How do you see the ringtones in your Library and change the file name? On a PC, it doesn’t show up in your Library, only in the iPhone Ringtones tab… and those you can’t “Get Info”. Only checkboxes.
HELP! =P
Is there a place in the iTunes interface, or in iTunes folder to delete an unwanted ring tone that you have already created? I certainly haven’t found a way… unless I’m just totally overlooking it?
Totally friggin worked! Thanks!
Okay… got it working. Took me a few tries to get it thru my skull that I needed to change the file extension in “Get Info.” Made all the difference.
Okay… I boneheadedly got two of the same ringtone loaded on the phone. Any way to delete one of them?
Bill, how did you get to the Get Info window? M4R files don’t show up in the Library…
Paul… I’m on a Mac. But I BELIEVE that what you would do on a PC is right-click on the file and choose “Properties.” I believe that “Properties” is the Windows equivalent of “Get Info.” Change the file extension in “Properties,” go through the process, and then change it back in “Properties.”
Oh so you’re not talking about Get Info in iTunes, but OSX rather? Hmmm… Cause pcs don’t have the option to change a file extension other than simply renaming the file.
Paul… yes… I was talking about “Get Info” in OSX (Finder).
Okay, so I restored the phone. That ditched all my old iFuntastic hacks, and put the one good custom ringtone back on the phone. Now, future updates won’t get hung up on the iFuntastic firmware hack.
Life is good.
well, i don’t really see a ringtones folder showing up in my iTunes library, is there any idea that I can create it in 7.4.1?
On a Vista PC, following the above steps posted by Robert Ross:
1. Confirm iTunes is set to import to AAC 128
2. If the “to-be” rington is not currently AAC, convert it by right clicking
3. Delete the new aac file from the library ONLY
4. Locate the file and Move it to your desktop
5. Rename the file from xxxx.m4a to xxxx.m4r
6. Double Click on the file
7. Return to iTunes and confirm it is now in the iPhone ringtones tab, but no not Sync
8. Locate the file in your iTunes Music/Ringtones Directory
9. Rename file from xxxx.m4r to xxxx.m4a
10. Sync!!! All should be well.
Still does not work.
Following step by step to step 7 works (noting the not synching after confirming that songs appear under the plugged in iPhone’s “Ringtone” tab). Then going back in and renaming the XXXX.m4r file into a XXXX.m4a file, going back into iTunes, and now selecting Synch, produces a message stating “Some songs, including “XXXX” could not be imported into “owners” iPhone because they could not be found.”
Trying it by first trying to synch the XXXX.m4r file gives you “Some songs, including “XXXX” could not be imported into “owners” iPhone because it is not a valid file type”.
This is for brand new created files from 7.4.1, NOT files that were originally created in 7.4.0, and then you upgrade to 7.4.1 (note, I was able to find a downloadable version of 7.4.0 on the web, and cinfirmed that the old “make an m4r file” worked).
For those of you that actually got the new rename method to work, can you please tell us what kind of computer you are on (Mac vs. PC), and if you are on a PC, if you are running XP or Vista (or other).
As it stands now, I think the method is competely broken for Windows Vista using all currently known methods.
The rename worked for me last night on the mac. I didn’t have any ringtones before the 7.4.1. So, everything was done with the new version.
However, it doesn’t seem to work for every song. I am not sure why, but my working theory (absolutely no scientific basis) is that it works for songs that iTunes imports as m4a (i.e. from a CD) but not for MP3s I select to convert to AAC.
A couple of people also got the “File Could Not Be Found” error. I got this the first time I tried to do the method. It doesn’t seem to hurt anything (especially if you hide the error). However, it didn’t feel clean. I was able to get rid of the “bad” ringtone in itunes by following the instructions to Recreate my iTunes Library:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93313
-Josh
BTW, if you rebuild your itunes library you will have to get all the album artwork again. Just found that out.
-Josh
Robert Ross,
Your tip on doing Edit->Preference->Advanced->General set to “Copy files to iTunes folder when adding”. Made it so that iTunes creates the Ringtones/ folder.
Thanks.
Here’s what I did to get my track selected…
+ Launch GarageBand
+ New Project
+ Import an audio track from iTunes
+ Trim track using the Split command to ~20 seconds
+ Export to Disk as AAC Good Quality
+ Rename track to trackname.m4r
+ ITunes… File=>Add to Library - choose ur file
+ The file is located in the Ringtones dir in iTunes Music
+ Proceed with 7.4.1 tip - renaming back to .m4a
OK, so it appears in iTunes, and appears to sync, but doesn’t show on my iPhone? I’ve changed from m4r to m4a, but still nothing. I don’t get the error messgae, so I would assume that it synced, but it’s not showing on the iPhone itself - any ideas?
@ 70 the same thing is happening to me on vista. I just don’t know why it won’t show up!
I too have the same issue. Has this work around been confirmed by anyone using windows?
i have the same issue as 70 but i am on a mac. any ideas?
I got the same error message…
(OS:Windows XP)
Seems like the Mac people are having success, and the PC folks are not. I’m on a PC and consider myself pretty good at following simple directions like the ones listed above. Therefore, I’ve got to think that this new “trick” for 7.4.1 does not work for PC users. I hope someone can prove my theory wrong!
Same issue as 70 … I can’t figure it out, hah. anyone figure it out?
mac users, i followed h3nrch from above, open garageband, drag/drop copy of song from itunes, cut it down to 30-40 sec. while in garageband, send to itunes. quit itunes app. find song in itunes music library files (NOT in intunes window), option-drag it (to copy) to desktop. use finder get-info to change to .m4r. drop into ringtones folder. double-clicking opens itunes. doesnt play but does show up in ringtones folder - don’t sync yet. quit itunes, open ringtones folder, use finder get-info to rename file to .m4a. start itunes again, sync this time works! has worked 3 of 3 for me, before just renaming songs without g-band was not reliable. good luck
I got it to work with iTunes 7.4.1.2 in Windows Vista.
Here’s the steps I took.
1. Put m4r files into a ringtones folder on my desktop.
2. Opened iTunes
3. Edit>Prefferences>Advanced
4. Check “Keep iTunes Music folder organized”
5. Check “Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library”
6. Created playlist called “Ringtones” in iTunes
7. Dragged the Ringtones folder from my desktop to the playlist I created in iTunes
8. Made sure they appeared when in the list on the Ringtones tab in iTunes
9. Opened the “Ringtones” folder that iTunes created in \Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Ringtones
10. Renamed all the m4r files to m4a
11. Try to sync but it fails because it cannot find the m4r files (this is good)
12. Look at playlist created in iTunes with a bunch of X’s next to each ringtone
13. Double clicked each ringtone (hit browse for the file, and selected each m4a file from the folder in my \Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Ringtones)
14. Hit sync again
15. Verify they are in your Settings>Sounds>Ringtones
Thanks Jason for the initial steps, they did not work for me but I figured this out on accident.
let me know if this works for anyone
Just tried this in Windows XP and I can confirm Robbie’s steps work. Thank you!
Great find Robbie, I updated the post with your steps.
I found an awesome guide for this with full screenshots on Digg if anyone wants the link: http://www.digg.com/apple…iTunes_7_4_1_with_Screenshots Good find all!
Awesome job Robbie!!
Thanks a ton!
@20 worked! thx
Worked under 7.4.1.2 on XP SP2. Thanks everyone!
what a fucking microsoftish business, to prevent customers from what they want to do with their stuff!
Thanks Robbie for the followup. I forgot to mention druing my intiial trial that I also tried creating a new playlist, but after one try, it didn’t work for me, so I gave up on going that way, as it was pretty late at night and I was pretty frazzled by the whole process by now.
I’ll go back and try it with the steps you outlined later today after I get off of work.
p.s. I’m assuming in step 8:
“8. Made sure they appeared when in the list on the Ringtones tab in iTunes”
You mean the ringtones tab in the iPhone when it is connected to the computer.
hi please please i might have missed something but i only wanna know one thing…..how do i change the file name without the name becomin xxxxxx.m4r.m4a or is that hows it supposed to look i go to get info click on info table then add .m4r to the end of the songs name is that how its supposed to be done…..??????
please help i apreciate it alot
#78 works for me. It must be something with the file association in Windows. I am using Windows XP and it worked for me :)
ok thanks guys i figured it out i had file extension hidden in folder options unchecked it and now #78 works great thanks
ps this way is so much better than jailbreakin or w/e the heck i was readin about that sounded dangerous
Robert Ross said …..My guess is that you don’t have iTunes managing your music and clicking that switch will help things a bunch…..
how do I make sure that I have it managing my itunes. don’t know how to do that, could someone walk me through it.
thanks.
Robbie et al…
The new workaround works! I was able to use old ringtones created in 7.4.0, and a new ringtone creaed only in 7.4.1 to work with this method. I guess we just needed to “trick” iTunes into doing it.
Thanks a bunch!
Windows users pay attention! This works, period, however you must choose the option to show file extensions in Tools> Folder Options > View > show file extensions. This is why some of you can’t rename the file correctly for iTunes to recognize it as a .m4r After you get that to work then inside the iTunes Music Ringtones folder re-rename it back to .m4a so it is syncable to your iPhone
Same as above just make sure you follow all the steps(Windows Users). STEPS (4) and (5) are VERY IMPORTANT and made it work for me.
(1)Put .m4r file into \iTunes\iTunes Music\Ringtones folder
(2) Double click on that .m4r file and it should appear and play in iTunes Library under Ringtones
(3) Rename *.m4r to *.m4a (* = name of ringtone)
(4)Play the file again in iTunes and It will say that iTunes can’t find the file
(5)Press “yes” button to specify location of the file and double click on the file you just changed
(6)sync the iPhone with iTunes
Confirmed that this also works with the newly created “ringtone” section in iTunes (the bell icon now shows up under “radio” on the left hand list). So you do not have to create a new playlist, as this works like a playlist, just drag your XXXX.m4r files to the bell. All functionality is there (shows an (!) for files not found after renaming the XXXX.m4r file back to an XXXX.m4a file). Just follow the instructions from Robbie.
Happy ringtone making everyone! At least until the 7.4.2 patch (I don’t see why Apple can’t just leave this one alone though… I bought my last AT&T (nee Cingular) RAZR phone at BestBuy, then went to the Motorola website where they had a mini FTP program to transfer .mp3 files to the phone to use as ringtones (this was an old school RAZR that didn’t have the music player yet, so the file transfer program only transferred small .mp3 files, which would only be 30 seconds long. Though not explicitly saying ringtones, it was a ringtone transferer. So if Motorola releases a way to get ringtones from anywhere onto their phones outside of the cell phone company involvement, why can’t Apple. Sorry about the rant…)
I wonder if deleting a ringtone from this list will delete it from the list on the ringtones tab under the iPhone? Anyone give it a try yet?
Also confirmed:
Deleting a file in the new “Ringtones” list (and sending it to the recycle bin) will make the ringtone dissappear in the “Ringtones” tab on your iPhone, so you can manage and discard ringtones you no longer want.
It looks like I can finally update to iTunes 7.4.1 on my main computer now that we got everything working on Vista/Windows, since all my music files, contacts, and calanders were on my main computer and my laptop was my tester for the iTunes.
I’ve followed all the steps perfectly, and the ringtones do show up in the new ringtones button in itunes, as well as the tab when the phone is connect.
But It still won’t sync, there is no error messages, and everything looks ok until I go into the Settings - Sounds options on my actual phone and see none of the ringtones.
Anyone else have this problem?
@ Kyle: Yes, I have this problem as well.
@ World: Anyone have a fix for this? To restate the problem…
Everything works fine up to sync (rename file, import, rename again, sync). The sync produces no error messages. But it also produces no ringtones on the iphone. (Neither in “Add ringtone” when editing a contact, nor in Settings/Sounds.)
Any clues?
on a Mac (Power PC) it is crucial that you add it to iTunes using File/ADD TO LIBRARY in order for the .m4r to show up. I had to create a Ringtones folder and it shows up there. Then in the Finder, rename the extension to .m4a under Get Info. Works great!
@ Me, Kyle, and anyone else with that problem:
I got it to work by trimming the song to less than 30 seconds (in my case, using GarageBand). Yay ringtones!
Jason C–
could you please provide a link to the Motorola website you mentioned in post 96? I also have razr and would like to use this.
@ Kyle (99)
Same.
I’m using Windows Vista by the way.
I got mine to sync to the iphone using Robbie’s steps, BUT when i set a custom ringtone, when someone calls, the default ringtone just rings.
Anyone else had this problem? the ringtones play and are in my sound settings, but when i set them to ring, they don’t work when someone calls…
@ Kyle, and other Vista users: I understand Audacity is available as a free app for Windows, and allows all the audio editing you need for this.
Gavin, what do I need to edit to get it to work?
@ Kyle: Assuming that the bottleneck, for you, is the length of the song, you’ll want to edit the sound file before changing the extension (m4a to m4r) and importing it to iTunes. Trim the length of the song – I have had success with ringtones up to just under a minute.
I should say that, since I’ve only done this on a Mac, I can’t vouch personally for its effectiveness on a PC.
@RD
Reboot your phone (hold sleep/home). The new custom ringtones should now work (I had the same problem and that solved it)
this is the best thing ever!!!!!!i probably had to play around with the different work arounds for about 4 hours, but it is sooo worth it. does these mean that i should never ever update itunes again? anyone know what the deal is that stuff?
Got it to work… :) Thanks!
@ Gavin:
Actually Audacity is free, open-source, and multiplatform. I’ve been using it on my Mac to cut files and export WAVs, and converting the WAV to AAC using iTunes.
Only way I could get it to work with latest iTunes on Vista was to:
-Copy m4a file from library to somewhere else
-Rename to m4r
-Edit m4r file in hex editor and change a character of the Title or Album in the ID tag
-Drag the m4r file into my ringtones playlist
-Edit the m4r file info in itunes (I put artist/album as “Ringtones” and fix the title, removing the character I changed in the hex editor)
-Rename m4r back to m4a in iTunes Music\Ringtones
-Attempt to play m4r file, get error and locate newly renamed m4a file
-Sync!
I should clarify also.. The reason I had to edit a character in the tag is it seemed whenever I’d drag an m4r file in my library it would realize I already had the original m4a so it wouldn’t add it. The only way to get it to add was to make iTunes thing it was a diff song and/or album.
Thanks post #95 that really helped.
Worked for me on XP. Thanks
Ok, I can get the file changed and into a Ringtones folder, but then I’m completely lost after that! I’m using Windows XP, and for whatever reason, I can’t get the files to show up in iTunes. Someone PLEASE help. I’ve been trying to hours and I’m going crazy, because it seems fairly simple and I’m just not getting it. HELP!
worked for me on XP with itunes 7.4.1.
Thanks robbie. follow #78 for getting it worked.
You can actually ringtone any song you want, using iTunes 7.4 or higher. Everyone needs to read this and NOT continue using the “renaming” trick, a bug based on the renaming, or unnecessary jailbreaking (if you ONLY want a ringtone). Apple simply made ringtones require special metadata to be set, like TV Shows. I made another blog post about it, although I think people have ringtone technique fatigue by now.
iPhone Ringtones - What Did iTunes 7.4.1 really do?
Someone should be able to make an easier version of what I’ve posted, but its the raw details and best thing to do in my opinion.
Thanks Peter! Turning it on/off worked.
This works great guys…I have “hello moto” as my ringtone off my razr, just to screw with my friends who work at motorola and are pissed that I got a iphone…thanks for all your work, the next beer is on me..K?
Worked great on my pc and the directions listed are perfect.
Finally got it to work! I’m on OS X. Didn’t have a ringtones folder- finally got one created. Thanks for the tips.
Be sure to keep the names simple or they won’t work right. I just named mine 1, 2, 3, etc and the file size, song length, etc didn’t matter.
the song shows up in itunes in the iphone playlist in the sidebar, but it doesn’t show up on the phone itself in the settings>sounds>ringtones…any ideas?
but can you trim up songs using the iTunes ringtone interface??
Cleverboy,
Sweet that worked great. Thanks for the info on setting the “stik” to 14.
John
I am using windows and none of the methods worked above. I took some of the above methods, and added my own and it works perfectly. You dont have to make any playlists or anything…try it.
1. Find the song you want thats ALREADY IN ITUNES!
2. CONVERT TO AAC FILE.
3. DRAG THE AAC FILE JUST CREATED TO DESKTOP OR DESIRED DESTINATION.
4. EDIT THE AAC FILE TO RINGTONE SIZE.
5. RENAME EXTENSION TO M4R.
6. DOUBLE CLICK FILE - IT SHOULD ADD TO “RINTONES” IN iTUNES.
7. RENAME FILE BACK TO M4A (SHOULD STILL BE ON DESKTOP, OR WHEREVER IT WAS PLACED).
8. PRESS PLAY ON THE FILE UNDER “RINGTONES” IN iTUNES - IT SHOULDN’T FIND IT SINCE BEING RENAMED.
9. DOULBE CLICK AND “FIND FILE”…AND NAVIGATE TO THE FILE THAT WAS RENAMED TO M4A.
10.SYNC AND IT WILL ADD TO PHONE.
You’re a genius. Thank you so much.
Instead of dragging the file as you said in step 3., I had to just locate the file in My Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Unknown Artist/Unknown Album/file.aac
Rest of the procedure worked for me. Excellent!
The hack I’d really like to see is one that enables ringtone editing for the thousands and thousands of files I didn’t buy from the iTunes store.
It’s going to be tricky though, the ringtone editor won’t even activate if it can’t ping the iTunes store. No network connection, no ringtone editor.
David,
Your mod worked. Thanks man :)
You Are My Hero. Love You. No Homo.
I was looking at davids instructions, step 4 says to edit the file to ringtone size. What is the ringtone size and how can i edit it to that.
you can edit the length (which would also decrease the file size) in iTunes, right click on the the song you wish to edit, click get info, hit the options tab, & select the time(s) you would like the song to start & end and then convert the file to an aac file…
This doesnt work, what are your sync settings? when I sync it doesnt add the file to my phone.
totally worked on my mac! thanks
This worked Perfectly and left no messy remenents of those files, i used the old method and then used your on top of it and it works great! no more error message, just my FREE RINGTONES!!
Thanks for the info on #78, however I seem to be having some trouble.
#1: when I drag and drop the folder from my desktop that i saved my .m4r files in, to my new “Ringtones” playlist, nothing actually gets “dropped”. it won’t let me drop the entire folder OR single files. is there an reason for this?
Someone PLEASE help as I REALLY REALLY want my custom ringtones back!!!
First off, major kudos to everyone keeping this up-to-date. I think I finally figured out what at least works for me, consistently. I have a fresh copy of 7.4.1.2 on Win XP and a ton of free MP3s. Also, using this I was able to synch songs longer than 3 minutes.
1) In iTunes, find a song, and convert it to AAC
2) Find the AAC version in Windows Explorer
3) Cut and paste it to another folder on desktop called whatever.
4) Rename to m4r
5) Double click on it. This adds it to the Ringtones area in iTunes. Make sure it shows up in the Ringtones tab when phone is plugged in also.
6) Attempt to synch. It won’t let you becauase the file is called m4r. It will say “blah cannot be copied because it cannot be played on this iPhone.” click OK.
7) Find your m4r. Rename it to m4a.
8) Important! Find the AAC you just converted in the iTunes library, and delete it. (it will have an exclamation point after it anyway, because you just changed the file extension to m4a). This is an important step and what works for me at least. Note: I do NOT have “keep iTunes music folder organized” or “copy files to itunes music folder when adding library” checked.
9) Attempt to sync again. The file will show in the ringtones tab but it will not go to the iPhone
10) Click on the Ringtones area under Library. The file will have an exclamation point after it. Double click on it, and point to the m4a file you just renamed.
11) Final sync, should work.
Yeah, it worked great on my iPhone!
Thank you Joe, greetings from Italy!
Has of today I can’t get the ringtones to work. Even though the File was renamed with a .m4r extension If you go to the Properties of the file it is still recognized has a ACC file. I was able to shorten the length of the file to 15secs but not difference iTunes still displays 1:16mins for the song but will only play 5secs.
Any Clues
AAC file sorry typo
WHen Im about to add the ringtone to my iphone, it says that the iphone won’t be able to play my ringtone, basically thats as far as i can get it. I tried creating the file smaller but i still encounter the same problem.. Can someone help!!!
Thank you Erimaque it worked perfectly. Your directions are spot on. I am running Vista and itunes ver. 7.4.1.2 and it worked Thank you.
When I rename the file to .M4R, when I click on it nothing happens. I can’t get it into the ringtones folder for whatever reason, and I too have the problem of the file type still being titled as an AAC file in properties… any suggestions?
Looks like the new version of iTunes (7.4.2.4 September 17) has disabled this ringtone hack. .m4r cannot be imported at all now.
Just a tip. I could not get this to work in 7.4.1.2 until i brought up the iTunes store for the first time. This seems to bring up the “ringtones” selection under “library” on the left side in iTunes.
Question-What is the benafit of letting itunes update? I am still running ver. 7.4.1.2 I dont use the store, i just use itunes to sync my contacts and for ringtones. Question 2-If i do update itunes when i sync my phone will i lose the ringtones that i used the extention hack on?
Im using iTunes 7.4.1(2) and am still trying to figure this out. I am not finding the name and extension lable. Is this still possible.
Windows users pay attention! This works, period, however you must choose the option to show file extensions in Tools> Folder Options > View > show file extensions. This is why some of you can’t rename the file correctly for iTunes to recognize it as a .m4r After you get that to work then inside the iTunes Music Ringtones folder re-rename it back to .m4a so it is syncable to your iPhone
This is copied from above. I was in the same boat as you this whole blog will do it for you as long as you follow each direction.
Erimaque’s directions worked for me the first time. But now instead of syncing each time i just play the song each time to get the exclamation point. Also you need the “keep itunes folder organized” and the “Copy itunes to music folder when adding to library” checked in itunes,edit,prefrences,advanced. I have found its alot quicker than waiting for a sync three times.
Can someone answer my questions above?
I’m not upgrading to 7.4.2 until I can keep my ringtones. I just want to send a shout out to John, hey, I’m glad my directions worked for you… I don’t like to keep “keep iTunes folder organized” and the other checkbox checked, when I did that, it gave me hella trouble when I tried to convert mp3s to AACs. Like I said I just followed steps that worked for me, I don’t mind having to sync three times. Please somebody tell me how to convert my “protected AACs” now. LOL… Apple you are insane… free music is here to stay. What can I say, I like custom ringtones.
is there a way to delete 7.4.2 and reinstal 7.4 or 7.4.1 i have the instaler for 7.4 its called itunesx.pkg is there something i can rename the pkg to let it reinstal or i have a pc that still has itunes 6 anyway to update that to 7.4 or any other way to creat a ringtone
Thanks
Yes, there is a way to install an older version. Delete iTunes.pkg and iTunesX.pkg from your Library/Receipts/ folder on your hard drive then install your older version of iTunes.
In addition to installing an old version…i am working on installing 2 versions of itunes on my computer…one that i can keep up to date with current updates and that will contain my entire music library, and an old version (7.4.1) specifically for my iPhone library and custom ringtones. I will keep you all posted on my discoveries.
thanks.
OK, Here’s how i did it.
I now have 2 versions of iTunes installed on my computer. One that i will continue to update (7.4.2 and beyond) and i keep my music library there for normal listening purposes. And another which contains all my iPhone info/music/custom Ringtones (7.4.1) which i won’t update and is only for syncing my phone.
Here’s what to do:
1. move your iTunes Music folder somewhere safe so it doesn’t accidentally get deleted.
2. Delete itunes from the applications folder.
3. go to Library/Receipts/ and delete all the files that have iTunes in the file name (iTunes.pkg, iTunesX.pkg, etc.) Empty the trash.
4. Download iTunes 7.4.1 installer. I can’t quite recall where i found it, but it is not hard to find it, try google or oldversion.com or something along those lines.
5. Install iTunes 7.4.1
6. Go to applications folder and rename iTunes to something different. I chose iTunes741. Go into Library/Receipts/ and rename all the files with iTunes in the name just like you did with the application. (ie - iTunes.pkg renamed to iTunes741.pkg)
7. this iTunes is now ready to work with your iPhone to make custom ringtones using the old 7.4.1 methods. Be sure to put all the iphone music into this library before syncing so you don’t lose it all from your iPhone.
8. Download the latest iTunes version from Apple.com (currently 7.4.2) and install it as normal. no renaming required here.
All done!
Step 8 isn’t necessary. There is no reason to run 2 versions of iTunes unless you want to keep up to date but also make custom ringtones.
hope that helps for now. I’m sure there will be trouble when we all have to update our iPhone software.
ok bye.
So there is no way to get ringtones into the iphone from 7.4.2?
correct. so far 7.4.2 is a no go.
iPhoneRingToneMaker works good with windows XP and iTunes 7.4.2, good thing about it is that it does not require iTunes to update ringtones to ur iphone, instead it directly updates to iphone it self but that also means that u will need to run this software everytime u sync ur iphone to iTunes to keep the ringtones. Bad thing about it is that u can only download the trial version for free and this trial version only lets you create 3 ringtones after that it asks to buy.
Anyone has an idea how to crack this software?
;)
Ok… gave it 20 different tries with every variation. But, with the newest iTunes update (v. 7.4.3) it won’t let you drag and drop a m4r file into a playlist. It lets you drop it in the Library, but for creating ringtones this seems to not do any good. Let me know of anything that will fix my problem even if I have to re-download an older version. mccm_00@hotmail.com
the new version 7.4.3 is very hard to create or sync ringtones ….
I’m using XP and I did all the ways to create ringtones but it didn’t list in the ringtones list … ???
Why Apple prevent their fans to create their own ringtones freely like other mobiles …
The Hackers will do their jobs soon …
—————————————-
If you solve the problem, e-mail me on
foxdie_3@hotmail.com
waiting …
“Apple prevent their fans to create their own ringtones freely” because Apple will lose a sale for $0.99 everytime you make your own ringtone.
Thanks everyone for all the hardwork. I followed advice from above and was successful in creating the ringtones (with music I already owned) and the iphone sync without error messages. however, still nothing on the phone even after a reboot. Itunes version 7.4.1.2 and the phone updated to 1.1.1.1 (wasn’t my idea). Any suggestions?
ok.. apple is not losing .99 everytime we make a ringtone. They are taking away userfriendly abilites from the user. A custom ringtone would never be available on itunes for sale anyways. no one is going to buy there stupid ringtones anyhow. At least I wouldnt. there is nothing on there that I would buy.
thanks apple for being greedy.
looks like i’m having the same problem as a few people here. i followed all the xp steps and get the ringtone to sync to my iphone. it shows up in itunes as a ringtone in itunes and iphone, however it won’t show up in my actual iphone under settings>sounds>ringtones. any idea how to fix that?
I, also, was fine, with iTunes 7.4.1.2, and my custonm ringtones. I have not updated iTunes yet, but I had to update my iPhone to 1.1.1.1 and now my ringtones appear in iTunes just fine but not on my iPhone general settings. I’m about ready to give up and just buy iPhoneRingToneMaker.
look like i used all the above methods but none of them worked for my iam using i tunes7.4.1.2 and i phone version 1.1.1,but i could not get my ringtones, it came up in the ringtones tab why the phone is connected but when i tried to sync it everthing went well but i could not fing the ring tone in my iphone, i even tried using the iPhoneRingToneMaker but even it gave me the same problem , someone plese help me, thanks in advance
Fun, free fix: Right click whatever song you want to use. Go to the options tab. Pick the 30 seconds or so you want to use. In the options tab, type in the start time, then the stop time. Hit okay. Right click the song again. Hit “Convert to AAC.” Don’t worry, this doesn’t actually make an AAC file, but an M4a file. Drag the file to your desktop to make it easy to find. I’ve been using the free trial of iToner (30 days) to sync these 30 second bites to my iPhone. Enjoy!
Oops, missed a step! When you right click the song the first time, you need to go to “Get Info,” then go to the “Options” tab. Sorry!
And for anyone wondering, I’m a brand-new iPhone user, so I have 7.4.2, and 1.1.1.
hey, I have the problem, I converted the files from .aac to .m4r. But I couldn’t drag the files into the itunes. Can anyone tell me what to do. Thanks so much!
i do all the steps…a ringtones folder is never created in my iTunes music folder.
i also DO get to see the ringtone as syncable, but it says it can not use this file type. and i have tried m4a AND m4r
please it would be cool to get this to work. APPLE PLEASE LISTEN…i want to use MY OWN MUSIC…music i make at home. no copy right…in fact ill give you a copy free
i did everythig to upload a ringtone in itunes 7.4 and I can sync it to my iphone, but the ringtone has no sound. Anyone who know how to fix this?
OK OK i just got my iphone in the UK on O2
I wanted to make timbalands apologise as my ringtone
I followed the tips and got the song into the ringtones folder but when i click on my iphone then ringtones tab nothing shows up
Anyone know why??
i really really want a custom ringtone!!!
Please help *begs*
NVM i did it
Is there a way for custom message tones?
I couldn’t get this to work with v.1.1.1, I tried using the older versions of iTunes with no luck. I updated the firmware to 1.1.2 and now I dont even have to change back from .m4r…just loads up into my ringtones folder :) oh i’m running vista/iTunes 4.5
so to recap I did the same thing everyone else has been doing upto the convert from .m4a to .m4r that’s all I needed. play the .m4r, and sync. Finally!!
This absolutely works! Amazing! Thank you. I have a PC. I had to first follow directions on how to convert to ACC then from m4a to m4r. after that. I tried to follow the update for windows xp and pc but it didn’t work while trying to sync. I then followed Robert Ross’ directions (Sept. 8th post) to the tee and it worked perfectly. Thanks again!
By the way I have Itunes 7.5 and firmware v. 1.1.2
I have an unlocked iphone which is v1.1.1. I have tried all of the usual to convert an existing music track to a ringtone.I am using itunes 7.4.3.1 and I cant see ringtones or convert them using the processes discussed. Can anybody help? I cant keep on using the standard ringtones, I really want my CTU ringtone back pleeeeease
After the above mentioned procedure, I could see my ringtones listed in the iTunes’s device’s ringtone folder. but its not listed in the Settings->Sound->Ringtone path.
Any help?
I’ve been having the same prob i.e. managed to install the custom ring tones into my iphone, however, I can’t seem to find the ringtone in my iphone. Help anyone? I did try switching it off and back on again with zero luck.
I am currently using iphone firmware ver. 1.1.1 and itunes 7.5. Thanks
Update your firmware to 1.1.2. Homemade ringtones are not going to work with 1.1.1.
This works great I used the instructions below
1) Get the AAC file ready - short and small is best - YMMV
2) rename it (get info window is needed on mac to be sure)
3) Drag / Import the M4R file - ensure it shows in iTunes as a ringtone
4) find the M4R file that iTunes is referencing
5) really rename the iTunes file on disk back to M4A
6) sync your phone - there should be no errors
This worked with itunes 7.5.0.20
Iphone : 1.1.2
The thing is my iphone is the unlocked version. I read it somewhere that unlocked firmware 1.1.1 should not be updated to 1.1.2. due to whatever reason there is.
http://iphone.unlock.no/ —> this is the site i read the above info
I can’t seem to get iTunes to recognize it as a ringtone. I’m using iphone 1.1.2 and iTunes 7.4.3.1; Anyone have any suggestions?
Eii,, i tried and followed all the steps but its not workin.. do i have to upgrade my phone to 1.1.2?? im living here in dubai and it might be locked if i upgrade it!! im running windows vista and itunes 7.4.1 ,, please help!! thanks!!
My software is up to date, and I just downloaded iphoneringtonemaker and it worked great. Within minutes I converted an MP3 to a ringtone. Good luck!
Firstly I am a Mac user. I’ve tried converting to m4r and m4a. but neither work. when i double click on it. it plays on itunes however it does not how on the ringtones tab. can someone help me please. this is awfully frustrating!
I just did this using 7.5 with 1.1.2 and it works for me. I created the ringtones playlist, but I couldn’t drag my ringtones from there to the “ringtones tab” where it shows the ones that you have purchased through iTunes. In order for them to appear, I had to copy and paste them into the “ringtones” folder in the iTunes music folder and double-click the file. After that, they appeared under the “ringtones tab” and I was then able to sync them with my phone.
using 1.1.2 and 7.5.0.20, all i did was crop the file in itunes, made sure it was an AAC file, put it on my desktop, deleted it from itunes but kept file, renamed it to m4r, double clicked and it synced to my phone with no problem. Im using vista also. let me know if this worked for anyone else.
+1 for Robey’s method. I have a jailbroken 1.1.2 w/ iTunes 7.5. Used iTunes to convert mp3 clips to AAC. Ensured Windows had folder option for “hide file extensions” UNCHECKED, so you can see and edit file extensions. After converting file to AAC, deleted it from iTunes (select option to keep file). Finf the file under the iTunes directory, changed the .m4a to .m4r extension. Double click the file and it opens right into “Ringtones” section of iTunes. Sync’s to device.
I am totally confused, b/c it sounds so simple and yet I am still unable to do it correctly. At the moment I have converted my song into 30 second. I have also converted it into AAC. However, I am unable to convert the file into m4r extention. I mean when i click on info on itune I can see the m4a. but I can’t change it from there. I have dragged it onto my desktop, but I can’t rename it there b/c all that comes out is the name of the artist and not the whole folders name. I am completely lost. Can anyone guide me in the proper procedure for getting a ringtone using windows 98?
well, actually i have windows XP, but either way i am unable to understand how to change m4a into m4r. please help
Use the instructions listed at this site:
http://www.funformobile.com/pages/help/helpMp3.php
To be able to edit your music down easily. Took me less than 10 minutes to make 4 ringtones from mp3’s that I had ripped from CD’s.
After you’ve saved your file as a .m4a extension, go to that folder, change the extension to .m4r - NOTE - it will tell you that it might mess up your file. Tell it yes you’re sure and then just drag and drop the file from the folder to your ringtones folder in iTunes and BOOM! All done. I synced up my iPod and immediately had them available. I had problems with clips that went over 40 seconds. They didn’t want to transfer but I’ve had no issues with anything :39 or under.
Hope this helps! Feel free to email me if you have any issues.
-Tim
Ok so i just got my iphone today…and i dont know if itunes already came up