How To Create Your Own Ringtone on an iPhone

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If you're tired of the boring old ringtones on your iPhone but don't want to shell out extra dough to buy a new one, here's an easy way to make your own.

To complete this How-To you will need:

The latest version of iTunes
A computer
An iPhone
A song or audio file to make into a ringtone

Warning: This process will not work with DRM-protected songs -- songs downloaded from the iTunes store before April 2009. Songs ripped from CDs or downloaded from other sources will work.

Step 1: Find your song

Open iTunes on your computer and find the song or audio file you want to convert into a ringtone. Pick something that you won't mind hearing a lot, or be embarrassed to broadcast to strangers.

Step 2: Select the start and stop time

Determine the snippet of the song you want for your ringtone. On a PC, right-click on the file in your Library; on a Mac, control-click on the file. Go to Get Info, click on Options, and enter the Start Time and Stop Time for your ringtone. Hit OK to save.

Tip: Keep the duration under 30 seconds so that iTunes will recognize it as a ringtone.

Step 3: Create an AAC version

With the song still highlighted, click on the Advanced tab in iTunes and go to Create AAC Version. This will convert the file into an Advanced Audio Coding file for iTunes. The new AAC file will have the same name and appear below the original in your Music Library.

Step 4: Change the file

Select the AAC file in iTunes and drag it onto your desktop. Click on the name of the file on the desktop and change the extension from .m4a to .m4r. This will let iTunes know to read it as a ringtone.

Tip: If you're using Windows and you don't see the file extension on your desktop, go to Folder Options in Control Panel and click the View tab. Uncheck the box for "Hide extensions for known file types."

Step 5: Delete the AAC file from iTunes

Back in iTunes, delete the AAC file you created, then right-click or control-click on the original song. Navigate back to Get Info and Options again and uncheck the Start and Stop Times to restore the original settings, so your song will play normally the next time you listen to it.

Step 6: Drag the renamed file to your Library

Drag your renamed file from the desktop to your iTunes Library. The new ringtone will now show up in the Ringtones folder with a bell icon in iTunes.

Step 7: Sync your iPhone

Sync your iPhone with iTunes and find the custom ringtone in your phone's sound settings. Select it and get ready to wow your friends with your awesome new tune!

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