iPhone: Set your own music as a ringtone

If you have enough of the standard ringtones on your iPhone, you can use your own music as a ringtone. We present two methods.

Create iPhone ringtone yourself - two ways to get there

You can generate the ringtone either via iTunes (method 1) or via an app (method 2). With the second method, you can also show and hide your ringtone. If you want to get to your destination faster, you should follow Method 1.

Method 1: set music as ringtone via iTunes

1. Start iTunes on your PC and select the desired song.
2. Right click on the song and select "Information" from the context menu.
3. There, select the "Options" and enter the start and stop times of the song (see picture). Note that the ringtone can only be a maximum of 40 seconds long. Then click the "OK" button.
4. Right-click the file again and select "Create MP3 Version" or "Create AAC Version". Then a copy of the song is created that has the desired length.
5. Now copy the file (right click> "Copy" or [Ctrl] + [C]) and paste the file on your desktop.
6. Now you have to change the file extension under Windows to M4R. ITunes no longer accepts this change in the current version 12. Therefore, we still need a small tool here.
7. Download the free iRinger and start the tool, it does not require installation. Unfortunately, you cannot click away the advertisement. Since we only need the tool for 30 seconds, you do not need to pay attention to it.
8. Click on the "Import" button and select the MP3 file from the desktop. With the "Export" button you can save the MP3 file as an M4R file on the desktop.
9. You will learn how to import the ringtone back into iTunes and bring it to your cell phone in the next but one paragraph. Skip the first five points there and start at point 6.
10. You can also follow the complete step-by-step instructions in the video above. However, the procedure explained there only works for iTunes under version 12.

Method 2: convert music to ringtone via app

In the App Store you will find numerous apps that convert your music into the ringtone format accepted by Apple. All of these apps have roughly the same range of functions, free apps perform the same service. In this example we use the extremely user-friendly "Ringtone Maker" app. Via the link you can download the App Store.

1. Once you have downloaded the app, start it.
2. Now click on the symbol with the note and select a song of your choice to be your ringtone.
3. Once you have done this, you can still make various settings. With the upper slider you select the start time of the ring tone, with the lower slider the length. Ringtones for iPhone are limited to 30 seconds by default. Finally, you can choose whether the song should ring in and out so that not every call leads to a startling moment (see picture).
4. Then press the storage symbol with the floppy disk. The ringtone is now saved on your phone, but must still be imported into iTunes so that it can be used. You can find out how to import the ringtone into iTunes in the next paragraph.

Import ringtone into iTunes

The converted ringtone is only in the app and must now go to the iPhone folder with the ringtones:

1. To do this, start iTunes and connect your iPhone to your computer.
2. Click the "iPhone" button in the top right corner. There you select the menu item "Apps".
3. Scroll down, you will find the item "Sharing" under which there should only be a few apps. Including the "Ringtone Maker".
4. If you select this, a list appears on the right. Click on the song there and click the "Save As" button.
5. Simply select the desktop as the storage location and click on the blue "Select folder" button. The ringtone is now on your desktop.
6. Pressing the "Ctrl" and "O" keys simultaneously, you can select the ringtone and import it into iTunes.
7. Now click on the media library button in the top left. It says either "Music", "Apps", "TV Shows" or "Movies" (see picture). Select the "Tones" item there.
8. If the "Tones" point is not visible, press the "Ctrl" and "S" keys at the same time so that the sidebar appears. Here you will find the tones at the top.
9. If the option is not visible here either, press the "Ctrl" and ", " keys at the same time so that the settings open. Place a checkmark in front of the "Tones" item and confirm with "OK".
10. Now you will see your own ringtone in the list of tones. Drag this to the right side of the screen onto the iPhone symbol (see picture).
11. The ringtone is now on your iPhone and only needs to be set up.

Set ringtone on iPhone

Since the sound snippet is now in the right place on your iPhone, you can now set it as a ringtone:

1. Open the "Settings" app on your iPhone and select the "Sounds" item.
2. Below you will find the item "Ringtone".
3. There you will see your own ringtone at the top of the list (see picture). If you select this, you have selected it as the ringtone.