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How to Look Up Song Lyrics Online

how to set song as ringtone on iphone for free

In the 1980s and 1990s, many artists published the lyrics to all of the songs on an album in the liner notes of the cassette tape or CD. In the modern era, people rarely purchase music in these formats. Instead, they download music to their computers, smartphones, mp3 players and other devices. Fortunately, as technology evolved, so did the Internet. Finding the lyrics to a song is as simple as performing a Google search. Follow these steps to locate song lyrics by artist, song title, partial lyrics and other ways.

Search Partial Lyrics

The easiest way to find a song by typing in the lyrics is to use Google. Perhaps you heard a song on the radio or while you were out and about. You didn’t hear the DJ announce the song title or artist, but you did catch a few of the song lyrics. Simply type the words that you remember into a Google search, and you’ll find all relevant matches. If the lyrics are a common phrase, then you might have a bit of trouble finding the right song. Type in as many words as you can remember — even if they’re not in the right order. Being as specific as specific as possible. Navigate to the website that matches the song you’re looking for, and you’ll find lyrics to songs to print.

Search for Songs by Artist

If you only know the name of the artist, you can still find the lyrics to a song. Perhaps you’re remembering a song, but the title and lyrics are right on the tip of your tongue. Searching through all of the songs by an artist may help jog your memory. Often lyrics websites have the lyrics to all songs by an artist organized by album or alphabetically. Click on the title of the song to find the words.

Search for Lyrics by Song Title

If you know the title to a song, then you’ll be able to find the lyrics to a song quickly and easily. Perform a general search on Google or navigate to a lyrics website, like MetroLyrics, AZLyrics or Lyrics.com to find the lyrics to song title. Type the name of the song and the artist to find the lyrics instantly.

Check Out the Song on YouTube

There are times when you look at the lyrics of the song and they don’t seem familiar. If you’re questioning whether or not the lyrics you’re reading are for the song you’re thinking of, you can enlist YouTube for help. You’ll find videos with music and lyrics to a song. Follow along as the music plays in the background. Lyric videos are also helpful for in-home karaoke parties.

Use Apps to Identify Song

If you’re wondering where to find lyrics to songs when you don’t know the artist, title or even understand the lyrics, then you’re in luck. Technology makes it possible to identify songs that you hear. Shazam, Soundhound, Genius, Siri for Apple devices and Google for Android devices can all identify a song you hear on the radio or in the background somewhere. Open the app, ask the device to identify the song and it will use your devices microphone to listen to the song. After analyzing the song, it brings up possible matches for the song title and artist. You’ll even have options for looking up the lyrics. This is especially useful for popular songs in different languages.

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How to Choose the Perfect iPhone Wallpaper for Your Personality

Your iPhone wallpaper is the first thing you see when you unlock your phone. It can set the mood for your day or inspire you. Choosing a wallpaper that reflects your personality can be challenging, but with these tips, you can find the perfect one.

Consider Your Interests

The first step in choosing an iPhone wallpaper is to think about what interests you. Do you love nature? Are you a fan of sports? Do you enjoy music or art? Once you have identified your interests, search for wallpapers that reflect them.

For example, if you love nature, search for wallpapers with landscapes or animals. If sports are your thing, look for wallpapers featuring your favorite team or athlete. If music is your passion, consider a wallpaper with lyrics from one of your favorite songs.

Think About Your Mood

Your iPhone wallpaper can also affect your mood. If you want to feel calm and relaxed, choose a wallpaper with soothing colors like blue or green. If you want to feel energized and motivated, choose a wallpaper with bright colors like yellow or orange.

You may also want to consider the time of day when selecting a wallpaper. If it’s nighttime and you’re winding down, choose a darker background. If it’s morning and you’re getting ready for the day ahead, choose something bright and cheerful.

Personalize Your Wallpaper

One way to make sure your iPhone wallpaper reflects your personality is to personalize it. You can use a photo of yourself or loved ones as your background. You can also create a collage of photos that represent different aspects of who you are.

Another way to personalize your wallpaper is by adding text overlays or graphics that represent things important to you like motivational quotes or symbols that have special meaning.

Keep It Simple

While it’s important to choose an iPhone wallpaper that reflects your personality, it’s also essential to keep it simple. A cluttered or busy wallpaper can be distracting and overwhelming. It’s best to choose a wallpaper with a simple design or pattern that won’t detract from the icons on your home screen.

In conclusion, choosing the perfect iPhone wallpaper for your personality takes time and consideration. Think about your interests, mood, and how you can personalize your wallpaper. Remember to keep it simple and enjoy the new look of your phone.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

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how to set song as ringtone on iphone for free

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How to set a song as a ringtone on iPhone for free

While there are plenty of people out there that keep their iPhones constantly on silent mode, there are still a few that cherish the humble ringtone and text tone. The problem is that Apple’s collection of ringtones and text tones is a little limited and hasn’t changed much in the past few years.

Sure, you could head to the iTunes Store and buy a ringtone – I’m sure that’s what Apple would prefer – but why spend your hard-earned cash when you can set your favourite song or sound effect as your ringtone completely free of charge? Plus, unlike other online tutorials, our method doesn’t require a PC, Mac or iTunes. Instead, it’s all done on your iPhone using Apple’s music composition app, GarageBand. 

Intrigued? You should be. Here’s how to set a custom song as a ringtone on your iPhone, completely free of charge. 

What you’ll need: 

  • The GarageBand app
  • A DRM-free version of the ringtone you’d like to use

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The Short Version 

Install garageband on your iphone, download the song/audio you’d like to use as a ringtone.

  • Start a new track and select any instrument

Open the Editor tab

Tap the loop icon.

  • Tap the Music tab
  • Browse for your song or sound effect
  • Drag the song into the GarageBand timeline

Trim the song down to 30 seconds

Save it as a song.

  • Export the song as a Ringtone

Name your ringtone

Set your new custom ringtone, how to use a custom ringtone on iphone for free without itunes.

how to set song as ringtone on iphone for free

Start a new track and select the keyboard

how to set song as ringtone on iphone for free

Tap the Files tab

how to set song as ringtone on iphone for free

Drag the song into the GarageBand Editor

how to set song as ringtone on iphone for free

Export the song as a ringtone

how to set song as ringtone on iphone for free

Troubleshooting

Unfortunately not – songs from streaming apps all have DRM protection, meaning they can’t be used for any other purpose.

Sure! From the Ringtones menu in the Settings app, simply swipe left on any custom ringtone and tap Delete to get rid.

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How to make your own iPhone ringtone from a song for free

Jim Martin

Do you want to set your favourite song or a custom sound as your iPhone ringtone? Well, you’re in the right place. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for two methods, both of which are free, and will take you only a couple of minutes – maybe less.

You don’t have to use a song as a ringtone. You can use any sound at all, as long as you have that sound as an audio file either on your laptop or your iPhone.

That sound could be a recording of your child, a ringtone you like such as the distinctive one from the TV series  24 or something else entirely.

It’s important to know that you can’t use songs from Apple Music or other streaming services because they’re protected. Instead, you’ll need an audio file that has no DRM – digital rights management. One of the simplest ways to get some audio is to download it from a YouTube video .

In this article, we’ll assume you have the song or sound ready to use. We’ll explain how to convert it into a ringtone, then change your iPhone’s current ringtone to the new one. The great thing is that you can use your creations as notification sounds for text messages or other things; they don’t have to be used exclusively as ringtones.

The first method uses the free GarageBand app on your iPhone, which is ideal if you want to make a ringtone using only your iPhone. If you want to be more precise, scroll down to the second method, which uses iTunes on Windows or macOS.

Make an iPhone ringtone without iTunes

Install garageband.

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 1

Jim Martin / Foundry

If it isn’t installed, open the App Store on your iPhone and search for GarageBand. It’s free, but it does take up around 1.6GB of storage. You’ll also need to make sure the song you want to make the ringtone from is on your iPhone. There are various ways to do this, from syncing with iTunes to downloading in another app. You can’t use ‘protected’ songs, such as those from Apple Music – the song you want to use must not have DRM (digital rights management).

Pick an instrument, any instrument

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 3

You can’t directly open a song in GarageBand, as it’s designed for creating them, not making ringtones.

So, after launching GarageBand, swipe and choose an instrument. It doesn’t matter which one. The keyboard is the first one in the list, so we’ll use that. Tap on it to open it.

Open the Editor

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 4

You may want to play the keyboard. Go ahead. But that isn’t relevant here. It is merely a means of getting to the editor, so tap its icon at the top-left as highlighted.

Tap the loop icon

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 5

In order to import the song you’re going to use for the ringtone, tap on the loop icon as marked.

Go the Music tab

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 6

Again, GarageBand is set up for importing loops, not songs. But you can still do it. So tap on Music at the top right to see the songs already on your iPhone.

Find your song

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 7

Tap on songs.

Find your song (part 2)

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 8

Scroll through the list, or tap on the letter it begins with from all the music on your iPhone. If you have downloaded podcasts, these will be show in this list as well, despite not being ‘songs’.

Drag the song into GarageBand

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 9

You can tap the song to play it, but to get it into the GarageBand editor, you must tap and hold on it. Drop it into the second track down – not the keyboard track.

Trim the track

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 10

Tap on the waveform and drag the yellow sliders to set the start and end points of your ringtone. This can be a bit imprecise at the standard zoom level, but you can pinch apart to zoom in and trim more precisely.

As for the iTunes method, the same rules apply: you must make your tone less than 30 seconds long. (In fact, it can be up to 40 seconds long, but to use it as an alert notification or text tone, it has to be under 30 seconds.

You can’t tell how long the selected audio is in GarageBand because, again, it’s not designed for this. Time it using a stopwatch, watch or another device or by counting, if you think you’re accurate enough.

Save it as a song

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 11

Tap the down arrow at the top left (marked) and tap My Songs. This saves your trimmed audio clip.

Export the song

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 12

Tap and hold on the ‘song’ and you’ll see a context menu appear. From this, tap Share. 

Save your ringtone

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 13

Simply tap the Ringtone option.

Name your ringtone

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 14

Type in a name for your ringtone so you can identify it.

Set your song as a ringtone

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 15

After it has exported, tap Use sound as…

Choose the type of tone

How to make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand 16

You’ll probably want to pick Standard Ringtone from the options, but you can use it as a Text Tone or even assign it to a particular contact  so you know who is calling. Of course, we’re still in GarageBand at this point.

You can see your ringtone in the Settings app under Sounds and haptics and set it as a tone for other apps if you want to, or pick it later if you change ringtones in the meantime.

Make an iPhone ringtone in iTunes

This second method might not be as convenient as using GarageBand on your iPhone, but it allows you to be much more precise about the section of audio to be used as a ringtone.

1. Prepare your song

The first thing to do, after choosing which song or audio you’re going to use, is to import it into your iTunes library on your computer. It cannot be from Apple Music, as you cannot convert Apple Music tracks to AAC because those songs are protected by copyright.

The file doesn’t have to be a song. You could use the Voice Memos app on your iPhone to record real-world sounds or people’s voices to turn into ringtones.

Just make sure you have the latest version of iTunes (go to the Mac App Store, or the Microsoft Store on Windows 10), then launch iTunes by double-clicking its shortcut or by finding it in the Start menu.

Click on File > Add File to Library or Add Folder to Library, and browse to the file or folder to import.

From the Library, click on the album which contains the song or audio file you want to turn into a ringtone, then right-click on the song you want to use and select  Song Info .

How to make your own iPhone ringtone in itunes

2. Choose timings

2. Choose timings

In the separate window that opens, click on the Options tab and then tick the Start and Stop boxes. Type in the times at which you want the ringtone to start and stop. If the song needs to start from the very beginning, there’s no need to tick the Start box.

To know which times to enter into these boxes, you will need to listen to the track first and note down the time you want it to start. The stop time must be within 30 seconds, as that’s the maximum length for a ringtone.

TIP: If you want to be really precise about when you ringtone starts, use a decimal point. For example, if the section of music starts between 44 and 45 seconds, try entering 0:44.5 in the Start Time box. You can even specify the start and stop time in thousandths of a second, so you could type 0:44.652

When you’ve set the start and stop times, click OK to dismiss the window.

3. Create AAC version

3. Create AAC version

Now, select the song again by clicking once on it. Then go to the File menu, choose Convert, then Create AAC version. (If you see ‘Create MP3 version’ or something else, the fix is in step 3a.)

What will happen is that iTunes will save just the section of the song between the start and stop times you chose as a new track in your Library.

If your song is tagged with album and artist information, the new, short track will appear as a duplicate track in the same album. You can identify it based on its duration, shown to the right-hand side.

If the album, artist and song info isn’t present, it will appear as a new album in your Library with a single song in it.

3a. AAC Encoder

3a. AAC Encoder

If you didn’t see an option to Create AAC version in step 3, it’s because your CD rip settings aren’t set correctly. To change this, click the Edit menu and choose Preferences…

Now click Import Settings… next to ‘When you insert a CD’ and choose AAC Encoder  from the drop-down menu next to ‘Import using:’.

4. Reset start & stop times

4. Reset start & stop times

As a matter of housekeeping, click on the original album containing the song and right-click on it. Click Song info and then click the Options tab.

Now untick the start and stop times to return them to their original times then click OK.

Otherwise, when that track is played in future, it will only play the section between your start and stop times. You probably don’t want that to happen.

5. Find the new AAC file

5. Find the new AAC file

Navigate to the duplicate track (or duplicate album which contains the newly created track) that you’re going to use as a ringtone.

Right-click on the song in the album and click Show in Windows Explorer . If you’re on a Mac, the option is called Show in Finder.

This is so that you can change the file’s extension (so it becomes a ringtone), which we’ll do in the next step.

6. Change the file extension

6. Change the file extension

The file should now be highlighted in the window which opens up, and it should be called something.m4a (where ‘something’ is the name of your song.

If you can’t see the .m4a part (i.e. you see only ‘ ikson day off’ and not ‘ ikson day off.m4a ‘), it’s because Windows is set to hide the extensions. Here’s how to show the file extension for editing . 

Once you can see the m4a part, right-click on the file and choose Rename . Now change the extension from .m4a to .m4r and press Return, Enter or just click in some white space.

On a Mac, the process is very similar, and on both Windows and macOS, you’ll see a warning asking if you’re sure you want to change the extension. Click Yes on Windows, and click ‘Use .m4r’ on a Mac.

Click Yes when asked if you want to change the extension.

NOTE: As this is a step which trips up a lot of people, please be aware that you cannot simply add .m4r when renaming the file. If the file extensions are hidden in Windows, all you’re doing is changing your file from ‘ ikson day off.m4a’ to ‘ ikson day off.m4r.m4a’.

This will not work!

7. Import & sync ringtone

7. Import & sync ringtone

Apple cut the bloat out of iTunes in version 12.7, removing the App Store and various other things including Tones, which was where you could you easily see all your ringtones.

However, you can still sync your new ringtones to your iPhone in the latest version of iTunes.

To do it, connect your iPhone to your laptop or computer with its Lightning cable. If you’re using Windows 10, tap ‘Trust this computer’ when it pops up on your iPhone screen. You may need to unplug and re-plug the USB cable if this message doesn’t show up, unless you’ve done this step previously.

Enter your phone’s passcode to confirm you trust the computer and wait until your phone icon appears in iTunes. Sometimes this can take a couple of minutes.

You might see a message in iTunes asking ‘Do you want to allow this computer to access information on “Xxxx’s iPhone”?’ so click the Continue button to allow this access.

Look for your phone in the left-hand column under Devices . Click on it and the list should expand so you can see a Tones section. Click on that and you’ll see any custom tones appear on the right (if you don’t have any, that list will be blank).

Switch to your File Explorer Window – or Finder on a Mac – where your ringtone should still be highlighted (or refer to the Find the File step earlier). If it’s not selected, click on it to do so.

Press Ctrl+C on your keyboard or Command+C on a Mac to copy the file. 

Go back to iTunes, click on Tones if this section isn’t already selected and hit Ctrl+V (Command+V on Mac) to paste the tone.

What should happen is that the tone will appear in the list of tones and automatically sync to your iPhone in a few seconds.

Note: you can no longer drag and drop tones from an Explorer window to iTunes.

Mac users: Sometimes ringtones simply won’t show up in the Tones section. There are two things to try here:

1- Delete the ringtone ‘song’ entry in your iTunes Music library (don’t delete the actual file on your hard drive – choose to keep it when prompted). Then double-click on the .m4r file in Finder and it should show up in Tones.

2- If that doesn’t work, try moving the .m4r file outside of your iTunes folder on your hard drive (such as to the desktop). Then double-click on it. 

8. Remove ringtone from library

8. Remove ringtone from library

More housekeeping!

You don’t need to delete the new AAC version of the song you just created from your iTunes music library, but you should.

That’s because it gets messy if you make lots of ringtones. It’s also confusing to have single-track albums which won’t play (because you changed the extension) and aren’t the full song anyway.

9. Change your ringtone to the new one you just created

9. Set your new ringtone

Now that the new tone is on your phone, all you need to do set it as your ringtone.

To do this, open the Settings app on your iPhone, then tap Sounds (also called Sounds & Haptics ), then Ringtone .

Your custom tones will appear at the top of the list, above the default Ringtones. Just tap on one to make it your ringtone.

The fun doesn’t stop there, as you can use your custom tones for other things such as text message alerts – or anything else…

10. Use your ringtone as a notification sound

10. Custom alert tones

If you want have a custom tone for text messages, tweets, Facebook posts, new voicemails, reminder alerts or anything else, it’s exactly the same process   as for a ringtone.

The only difference is that you’ll need to select the appropriate section under ‘Sounds & Haptics’ on your iPhone.

Just tap on the type you want, Text Tone for example, and you’ll see the Alert Tones list.

Scroll down past these , and you will see your Ringtones list. Your custom tones will again be at the top of this section.

It’s not a great idea to use a 30-second song as a text message alert, though. And, in case you’re wondering, there’s no difference between a ‘song’ and a sound effect in iTunes, so you don’t have to use part of a song from your music library as your custom alert tone.

All you need is a sound effect in a format iTunes can import (usually MP3), and it will be treated it just like any other song. Then, repeat the same process as for a ringtone to create and sync the sound effect to your iPhone, then select it as we’ve shown.

Author: Jim Martin , Executive Editor

how to set song as ringtone on iphone for free

Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.

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How to set a song as ringtone on iPhone in 2023

How to set a song as a ringtone on iPhone without iTunes or PC

Jamming on a particular song and want to make it your iPhone ringtone? But is it possible to make a song as your iPhone ringtone without iTunes or your computer? Yes, it can be done! Whether a custom sound like your child’s voice, a music piece, or external ringtones, iPhone allows you to be the decision-maker. In this article, I will take you through the process step by step, so stick along.

Things to know before you set any song as an iPhone ringtone?

  • Locally Saved – The track you want as a ringtone should be stored in your iPhone Music Library or the files app. Protected songs (like from Apple Music) cannot be used.
  • Ringtones: Ringtone Maker
  • Apple’s GarageBand app

Now, let’s move on to the next step.

How to create a custom iPhone ringtone with GarageBand

Set custom ringtone on iphone without itunes.

For this tutorial purposes, I have downloaded a ringtone from Zedge . You can use a website or source of your choice.

Launch GarageBand app on your iPhone

  • To edit the song, drag the long vertical bar to your custom ringtone’s desired starting point. You may use the play button to achieve the perfect starting point of your tone.

Double tap on song and select Split on iPhone

  • Drag the Scissor icon down to cut/divide the song at your chosen point.

Delete unusable part of the song on iPhone

  • Tap and hold the project and select Share from the list.

Select Ringtone and tap Export on iPhone

Note: While exporting, iPhone automatically trims the ringtone at 30 seconds. If you want to set an endpoint somewhere before 30 seconds, repeat steps 6 to 9.

If you selected OK previously or you want to use the custom ringtone again, follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone
  • The recently created tone will be displayed on top of the list under RINGTONES .

Set Ringtone on iPhone without iTunes

Successfully set a song as a ringtone on iPhone without iTunes or PC!

I hope this handy trick to set a ringtone of your choice without iTunes or a computer was useful. If you have any queries or face any issues during the process, please share them in the comment section below.

YouTube video

And if this was too much of a hassle, don’t worry! You can check the below articles for alternative hacks:

  • Best Free Ringtones Apps for iPhone
  • How to Buy Ringtones on iPhone and iPad

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A self-professed Geek who loves to explore all things Apple. I thoroughly enjoy discovering new hacks, troubleshooting issues, and finding and reviewing the best products and apps currently available. My expertise also includes curating opinionated and honest editorials. If not this, you might find me surfing the web or listening to audiobooks.

24 comments

I am new with iOS and I was afraid I will not be able to set custom ringtone without iTunes or third party app, but this makes it possible. Thank you very much for the guide.

This worked successfully. Thank you a million.

Thank you for this clear explanation on how to create a ringtone using my iPhone alone. Worked perfectly for a purchased and downloaded song, just as you promised. You made two people (me and my wife who tasked me with this project) happy tonight. Thanks for providing this information. You rock!!!

GarageBand isn’t the easiest app to navigate, and I’m a seasoned iPhone user. But this tutorial worked as a charm. I was able to downLoad a mp3 online and splice it into a 5 second ringtone for my contact text msgs. Thanks a bunch igeek.

Hatss offff 🔥🔥🔥🔥 This worked as a charm

Thank you simple process and easy to follow instructions!

Help! When importing the MP3 into GarageBand, the MP3 is greyed out and refuses to put into the track!

There can be multiple reasons behind it; this Apple Support article covers almost all – https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210403 . If none of these methods work, do feel free to connect with us; we’ll try and figure out some other way around.

it worked , great..!! and thanks a lot

Totally worked, thanks. Great hack though.

It’s not working for some reason. It says that the ringtone was exported successfully, but when I called myself from a friend’s phone it didn’t work. Idk if I did something wrong.

Are you doing the next step after the ringtone is exported from the GarageBand, i.e., set the ringtone from Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone.

Clear, excellent instructions through a painfully long process using jaw-droppingly non-intuative software. Thanks. I remember a decade ago on an Android phone clicking two options and wham – ringtone set……that´s how it should be! thanks.

This was the best way I’ve ever seen to make any mp3 a ring tone. If you want a YouTube vid as an mp3 you just do a quick YouTube to mp3 online converter and then your hack and your all set! Love it!

Hello Ms. Arshmeet,

After receiving my first ever iPhone (gift from a friend), I wanted to duplicate the “environment” of my previous phone. Not wanting to have to install a humongous program (iTunes) just to have my customized ringtones, I came across your article. FANTASTIC!!! Even being a newbie to the Apple world, your instructions (along with some ‘formal intuition’) got me up and situated in record time. Thanks loads for writing this.

You have provided me invaluable knowledge. Cheers!

Hi Arshmeet – thank you so much! I’m new to iPhones and used to Android, your article saved me from throwing the phone out of the window. The only thing I didn’t do right the first time was to make sure the long bar inn Garageband was set at the beginning of my newly cut segment, so the ringtone was effectively a period of silence. Once I worked that out, it was plain sailing. Thank you again.

Thanks! Your clear instructions worked well for me—and I’m the opposite of a geek

This a easy to use guide on a process that has always been an issue for me. Thank you!

I did make a mistake by leaving the first few seconds empty. I didn’t realize it until I already exported and they are now listed in my ringtones. Any way to delete them so I can correct them.

Excellent write-up. I definitely appreciate this site. Continue the good work!

Hi Arshmeet, nice clear instructions which worked to a point. The song was edited and was there ticked off in ringtones, but no sound and I can’t understand why not. Best regards.

Thanks for your kind words. However, I haven’t come across such an error yet, nor could I find a substantial solution for the same over the web. I suggest you try a different song or different instrument. If nothing works, delete and re-install Garage Band again. Do let me know if the problem persists, I’ll try to help you out to the best of my abilities.

Thank you! This worked perfectly to make a free MP3 I found into a IOS ringtone. I am then able to use the ringtone as ringtone or a notification sound on my iPhone.

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How to Set a Ringtone from a Song on iPhone: 5 Easy Methods

Last Updated: September 11, 2023 References Tested

Buying Ringtones from the iTunes Store

Creating a ringtone in music or itunes, placing the ringtone on your iphone, making a ringtone in garageband, setting the ringtone.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD . Megaera Lorenz is an Egyptologist and Writer with over 20 years of experience in public education. In 2017, she graduated with her PhD in Egyptology from The University of Chicago, where she served for several years as a content advisor and program facilitator for the Oriental Institute Museum’s Public Education office. She has also developed and taught Egyptology courses at The University of Chicago and Loyola University Chicago. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 1,924,997 times. Learn more...

This wikiHow teaches you how to create and install a custom ringtone from a song on your iPhone using iTunes on your iPhone, PC, or Mac. If you're using macOS Catalina or later, you'll actually be using the Music app. You can also create a custom ringtone from a GarageBand project on your Mac. You can easily create a ringtone from most music file types, including M4As and MP3s, as long as it's saved to your computer. Once you've added the song's ringtone to your iPhone, you can set it as the phone's default ringtone or as the ringtone for a specific contact.

Things You Should Know

  • The easiest way to set a song as your ringtone is to buy one from the Tones section of the iTunes Store on your phone.
  • You can also create a custom ringtone in iTunes, Music, or GarageBand on your computer.
  • However you create your ringtone, you can set it using Settings or the Contacts app on your iPhone.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 1

  • If you don’t see the iTunes Store app on your Home Screen, scroll through all your Home Screen pages until you reach the App Library . Search for itunes store in the search field at the top of the screen or scroll down and look for it in the Entertainment group.
  • If can’t find the ringtone you want in the iTunes Store, try one of the methods below. You might need to make one in iTunes, Apple Music , or Garage Band .

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 2

  • If you use the Search feature, it will search for anything in the iTunes Store that matches your search term. Scroll down to the Ringtones category in the search results to find ringtones, if there are any.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 5

  • Set as Default Ringtone
  • Set as Default Text Tone
  • Assign to a Contact
  • Tap Done to buy the tone and install it on your iPhone without setting it.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 7

  • If you don’t choose one of the options in the menu to set your ringtone right away, you’ll need to set it after you’ve made your purchase.

iPhone Settings App Icon

  • Tap any sound listed in the Sounds and Haptic Patterns group.
  • Tap Download All Purchased Tones . It’s near the top of the menu, under Store . You can also tap the Tone Store link to open the Tones section of the iTunes Store .

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 1

  • You can download songs you don’t own from Apple Music, but you won’t be able to turn them into ringtones. You’ll get a notice saying that it’s a protected file that can’t be converted.
  • Click Music in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then click Preferences or Settings .
  • Open the General tab and check the box next to iTunes Store next to the Show header.
  • Click OK to confirm your choice and close the Settings/Preferences window. You can then click the link in the sidebar to browse the iTunes store.
  • You can also click on the ••• button next to any song or album in Apple Music and select View in iTunes Store to purchase and download it.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 3

  • You can see the timestamp for the song at the top of the iTunes window when a song is playing.
  • Ringtones cannot be longer than 40 seconds. Depending on your operating system, you may not be able to make ringtones that are longer than 30 seconds. [9] X Research source

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 4

  • For example, if your selected ringtone segment is 26 seconds, the new song will have "0:26" next to it instead of the full song length.
  • Click Edit in the menu bar at the top of the screen in Windows. On a Mac, select either iTunes or Music from the menu bar, depending on which macOS and app you are using.
  • Click Preferences or Settings .
  • Depending on which version of iTunes or Music you have, either open the General tab or the Files tab. From there, click Import Settings .
  • Click the "Import Using" drop-down box and click AAC Encoder in the drop-down menu. Click OK to save your changes, then click it again in the main Settings/Preferences window.
  • Don’t forget to reset the start and stop times for the original song in your iTunes/Apple Music library!

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 10

  • Click the View tab at the top of the File Explorer window
  • Check the "File name extensions" box if not checked
  • Click the ".m4a" version of the song to select it
  • Click the Home tab and click Rename
  • Replace m4a with m4r at the end of the song and press Enter , then click OK .
  • Select the AAC version of the song (the ".m4a" version)
  • Click the File menu at the top of the screen
  • Click Get Info in the drop-down menu
  • Change m4a to m4r in the "Name & Extension" section and press ⏎ Return
  • Click Use m4r in the alert box that pops up.
  • Leave the File Explorer or Finder window open for now. You’ll need it when you move the ringtone to your iPhone .

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 19

  • If you’re using Finder , simply drag the ringtone file from its location on your computer and drop it into the General tab. You can also copy the file and paste it .
  • If you're using iTunes and see a folder on your iPhone called Tones or Ringtones in the Media folder in the left panel, you can drag the file right to that folder. If you don't see this folder, just dragging the file to the main panel in iTunes will transfer the file to your iPhone.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 16

  • Depending on which version of iTunes or Finder you’re using, clicking Sync might not be necessary. In many cases it’s enough to drag and drop or copy and paste the file.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 23

  • You can find GarageBand by opening Launchpad in the Dock at the bottom of the screen. The icon looks like an electric guitar in front of an amp.
  • To create a song in the mobile app, launch GarageBand on your phone and tap the + Create Song icon. Select from one of the options to import or record a track, or put together a song from tracks and samples in the GarageBand sound library.
  • Once you’re satisfied with the song you’ve created, tap the icon that looks like a triangle pointing down in the top left corner of the screen and select My Songs . This will take you back to the My Songs browser.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 24

  • Selecting File and clicking New
  • Clicking Empty Project and clicking Choose , then selecting Create
  • Dragging and dropping a music file from a location on your computer to create a new track

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 25

  • If you see the option to save your project to a GarageBand for iOS folder in iCloud, select that. It will make it slightly easier to find your file in the mobile GarageBand app.
  • If you haven’t already set up an iCloud account , you’ll need to do so before you can export your project.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 27

  • If you don’t see your song, type its name into the Search field at the top of the screen, then tap Search . It should appear if you successfully uploaded it to iCloud.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 29

  • If you just tap your song instead of tapping and holding it, the project will open in the GarageBand editor.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 30

  • If your song is longer than 30 seconds, you’ll see a popup advising you that the length of the ringtone needs to be adjusted. Tap Continue , and GarageBand will automatically trim your song for you.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 32

  • Standard Ringtone
  • Standard Text Tone
  • Assign to contact
  • Tap Done to exit the Use sound as… menu without setting the ringtone .

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 18

  • If you want to assign your new ringtone to a different type of alert, such as text messages or voicemail, select one of those options from the list instead of Ringtone .

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 21

  • You should also hear a preview of your ringtone when you tap it.

Image titled Set a Song As Your Ringtone on iPhone Step 22

  • Open the Contacts app. It looks like a gray square with an icon of a person on it and several colorful tabs along the side.
  • Tap a contact's name.
  • Select Edit in the upper right corner of the screen.
  • Tap Ringtone .
  • Select the ringtone you want to use for your contact.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • Make sure that your phone is set to ring audibly if you want to hear your new ringtone. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

how to set song as ringtone on iphone for free

You Might Also Like

Download Ringtones

  • ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/get-ringtones-iphad0b74838/ios
  • ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207955
  • ↑ https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-make-ringtones-for-iphone/
  • ↑ https://www.tomsguide.com/us/how-to-make-ringtones-iphone,review-6526.html
  • ↑ https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-12051
  • ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/music/change-song-and-cd-information-mus2561f46f8
  • ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204310
  • ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208899

About This Article

Megaera Lorenz, PhD

To set a song as your ringtone on your iPhone, start by attaching your phone to your computer with the USB cable. Once connected, click the iPhone icon in the top-left side of the iTunes window. When you open your phone, drag the ringtone to the “Tones” folder if you have one, or just to the right panel. Finally, click “Sync” for the tone to appear on your phone. After you disconnect your phone from your computer, open your iPhone’s settings by tapping on the grey app with gears on it. From “Settings,” scroll down and tap “Sounds and Haptics” to get to the “Ringtone” button. After clicking on “Ringtone,” tap the sound’s name that you want to set as your phone’s default ringtone. If you’d rather set the ringtone for a specific contact, open the Contacts app, tap on the contact’s name, and tap “Ringtone.” Once you select the ringtone for that contact, tap “Done” to save it. To learn how to create a ringtone, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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how to make a ringtone on iphone

How to make a ringtone on iPhone

You are in a public place, and suddenly an iPhone starts ringing. Probably this is when several people around you start fumbling through their pockets in search of their iPhones. The best way to make sure that the call is actually for you is to set up a custom iPhone ringtone. Here you will learn how to make a ringtone on iPhone , and there are three good reasons to create custom iPhone ringtone :

✓ It is free; ✓ It takes only a few minutes; ✓ It is fun!

We will walk you through three ways to make free ringtones for iPhone . You can use websites, the GarageBand app, or iTunes to convert songs to ringtones. Select what applies best to you:

  • How to make a ringtone on iPhone – using websites

How to make a song your ringtone

  • How to change your ringtone – without iTunes
  • How to set a song as a ringtone on iPhone – with iTunes

Free ringtones

Where to download them.

The easiest way to get free ringtones for iPhone is to use one of the many websites to download existing ringtones. Most of them also offer the possibility to upload your favorite song to convert it into a ringtone.

⚡ Once you have downloaded the ringtone to your PC, you can add it to your iPhone via our free iTunes alternative , CopyTrans Manager .

In the recent release, Apple the ringtones tab in iTunes. But even if you add a ringtone to your iPhone, it’s impossible to remove it with iTunes. Luckily for you , CopyTrans Manager can delete a ringtone!

Using websites

Here is a small selection of websites to download and create free iPhone ringtones :

  • https://www.melofania.club/
  • https://ringtonemaker.com/
  • https://ringer.org/

No matter which site you go for, the procedures to create custom ringtones are almost identical. In the following steps, I used www.melofania.club to download and create free custom ringtones for my iPhone.

The advantage of www.melofania.club is that you can download existing ringtones for free without creating a user account. To download existing iPhone ringtones:

How to change ringtone on iPhone

Search for a song using the search bar on the top right of the page, or click on a popular ringtone like Roar from Katy Perry or Lorde from Royals .

How to make a ringtone on iPhone

The ringtone will be saved to the Downloads folder on your PC, and you can now use iTunes or our free iTunes alternative, CopyTrans Manager , to add it to your iPhone.

If you didn’t find what you are looking for, use Melofania.com or any other website we mentioned above to create individual iPhone ringtones. To do so, follow these steps:

How to make a song your ringtone

How to change your ringtone

From a computer without itunes.

If you’re wondering how to set ringtone in iPhone without iTunes , you came across the right app!

Download CopyTrans Manager.

Install and launch the program.

How to download ringtones on iPhone

Custom ringtone iPhone

Once you successfully added your custom ringtone to your iPhone, you can set it like this:

set ringtone on iphone

That’s it!

Advantages of CopyTrans:

✓ change the title, artist, album name, etc.; ✓ add artworks to the tracks; ✓ manage your existing library; ✓ create and manage playlists.

BONUS: back up iPhone ringtones to PC

ringtones in copytrans

How to make a custom ringtone

Another easy way to make a ringtone is to make it directly on your iPhone. To do that, you need just two things:

  • GarageBand iOS app (you can download it from the AppStore for free);
  • A song on your iPhone that you want to use as a ringtone.

WARNING: you can’t transfer DRM-protected songs (all the songs from Apple music subscription).

Don’t be afraid of the number of steps and screenshots. In fact, this is a simple process and will take about five minutes.

open the garageband app

How to set a song as a ringtone on iPhone

Using itunes.

The third way to create ringtones and add them to your iPhone is using iTunes itself.

select a song for a ringtone

Note: If you don’t see an extension of the file so you can’t change it, here is how to:

Type Control Panel in the Start Menu search bar and click the Control Panel .

how to see an extension of the file

If you don’t like your experience with iTunes, there is always an alternative. Check out CopyTrans programs : they can do as much as iTunes, and even more.

CopyTrans Photo interface

Transfer iPhone photos to the PC and back

  • Transfer photos and videos from iPhone to PC
  • Move photos and videos from PC to iPhone
  • Create and edit iPad albums
  • Organize photos and preserve album structure
  • Keep EXIF data intact
  • JPG, HEIC, MOV, Live photos

Manage iPhone contacts, messages, notes, and calendars on your PC

  • Transfer contacts from one iPhone to another
  • Back up your messages to a PC
  • Manage your iPhone and iCloud calendars
  • Save your iPhone notes to the computer

CopyTrans Contacts interface

Back up your iPhone to the PC without iTunes

  • Back up and restore iPhone without iTunes
  • Restore iPhone data selectively
  • Restore WhatsApp without iCloud
  • Transfer iOS apps to new iPhone

That’s it! Setting ringtones for iPhone is as easy as that. We wish you lots of fun with your new free iPhone ringtones!

Avatar for carina

Carina is part of team CopyTrans since 2008 and is always happy to share her passion for web marketing, graphic design & social media. With coffee running through her veins, she enthusiastically dives each day into the depths of the Internet searching for new cool stuff to be shared with you and her team.

IMAGES

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    Go to Settings > Sounds > Ringtone and select the ringtone. Usually, you will find all custom ringtones on top of the ringtone list. set