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How to Make an iPhone Ringtone

iPhone ringtones are short AAC audio files with the .m4r extension. Making one takes two parts: cutting and saving the file, which you can do here in your browser, and getting it onto the phone, which depends on whether you use a Mac, a Windows PC or the phone alone.

Updated 15 November 2026 · 4 min read

The rules for a ringtone file

  • Format: AAC audio in an .m4r file.
  • Length: 40 seconds or less for a ringtone. Text and alert tones should be shorter, around 30 seconds or less.
  • You must have the right to use the audio. Your own recordings and music you have licensed are fine.

Files longer than 40 seconds are often ignored or refused when you try to add them as a ringtone. Keep it to 30 seconds to be safe.

Step 1: make the M4R file

  1. Open Audio Cutter and drop in the song, voice note or video.
  2. Drag the handles to the part you want, up to 30 or 40 seconds.
  3. Add a short fade in and fade out so it does not start or stop abruptly.
  4. Choose Save as M4R ringtone and download.
Audio CutterCut audio from a song or video and save it as an M4R ringtone with fades.Change Video VolumeIf the clip is quiet, boost or normalise it first so the ringtone is easy to hear.

Step 2a: add it with a Mac

  1. Connect the iPhone to the Mac with a cable and unlock it.
  2. Open Finder and select your iPhone in the sidebar.
  3. Drag the .m4r file onto the iPhone's window in Finder.
  4. On the iPhone, go to Settings, Sounds and Haptics, Ringtone, and pick it from the list.

Step 2b: add it with a Windows PC

Connect the iPhone and open Apple's device app for Windows (Apple Devices, or iTunes on older setups). Select the phone, then drag the .m4r file onto its Tones or On My Device section. Sync if asked, and choose the ringtone in Settings on the phone.

Step 2c: on the iPhone alone

Without a computer, Apple's free GarageBand app can turn audio into a ringtone. Import the audio into a GarageBand project, then use Share and choose Ringtone. GarageBand handles the length and format for you. Recent iOS versions may also offer a ringtone option when you share an audio file from the Files app; check your share sheet.

The exact menus change between iOS versions, so follow the labels on your phone if they differ slightly from these steps.

What makes a good ringtone

  • Start on something recognisable. The first two or three seconds are often all anyone hears before you answer. Skip a slow intro and start on the hook or chorus.
  • Use a short fade in. Half a second avoids a click at the start without making the opening too quiet.
  • Watch the loudness. A quiet clip is easy to miss. Normalising to about -14 LUFS makes it as loud as typical music without distortion.
  • Loop-friendly endings help. The phone repeats the ringtone while it rings, so a fade out at the end makes the repeat less jarring.
Extract AudioTaking the sound from a video first? Extract it, then cut it, or drop the video straight into Audio Cutter.

Questions

How long can an iPhone ringtone be?

Up to 40 seconds. Keeping it to 30 seconds avoids problems, and text tones should be shorter.

What is an M4R file?

An AAC audio file with a different extension that iPhones recognise as a ringtone. It is the same audio as M4A.

Can I make a ringtone from a video?

Yes. Drop the video into Audio Cutter, select the part, and save as M4R. The sound is taken from the video on your device.

Do Android phones use M4R?

No. Android uses MP3 or OGG ringtones. Save as MP3 instead and copy it to the phone's Ringtones folder or pick it in sound settings.

Tools for this

Audio Cutter

Cut a song or recording with fades. Save as MP3 or an iPhone ringtone.

Extract Audio

Save the sound of a video as MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG, FLAC or Opus.

Change Video Volume

Make a quiet video louder, turn it down, or normalise loudness.

Audio Converter

Convert between MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, FLAC and Opus, from audio or video.

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