How to create MP3 ringtones for free using Apple iTunes

Since Tammy and I both got new phones not too long ago, I decided to get a bluetooth module for our computer so we could transfer photos and such wirelessly from our phones to our computer without all of the proprietary USB cabling for each phone and junk software. This also allows us to upload our own ring tones. I did a little research and you can actually make your own MP3 ringtones using iTunes and it’s free. Just make sure your phone can read MP3’s as ringtones (most can).

First you want to set the import settings to something the phone can read and play easily. Go to preferences (On a Mac Apple Menu > Preferences, on Windows Edit > Preferences). As shown in the screen shot below, on the General tab, click the Import Settings button. Make sure your using the MP3 encoder, then in settings, select Custom.

Change your Sample Rate to 22.050khz and Channels to Mono as shown below.

Click OK and close out the preferences pane.

Now, pick out a song you want to make a ringtone, listen to it and determine what 30 second or less clip you would like. I chose Flare by Relient K. Write down the start and end time of that clip. Once you determined what section of the song you want, do a Get Info on the song. You can do this by highlighting the song and right clicking or on the keyboard using CRTL+I in Windows or Command+I on a Mac. In the info pane, you want to click the Options tab as shown below.

Put in your start and stop times you wrote down. This is considered non destructive editing which means that it does not change the original file, so you will still have the complete song intact. Just remember to go back and uncheck the Start Time and Stop Time boxes when you are done so iTunes will play the whole song.

I did a 25 second clip to be safe. Please note that iTunes uses time codes not just the number of seconds, so remember to complete the time code.

Now play it to double check that it is playing the clip of the song you want. If you are satisfied with it, right click (CRTL+click on a single button Mac mouse) and select Create MP3 Version from the sub menu (as shown below).

Please note, selecting Create Ringtone will lead you the iTunes store and prompt you to create and purchase the ringtone from Apple of the song you selected. You can do this, but then it isn’t free.

iTunes will encode and create an MP3 using the settings we entered earlier. Then, just select the resulting MP3, click and drag to your desktop, as shown below.

Then transfer this to your phone via bluetooth or USB. Please note that some phones have size limits for ringtones. For my phone (a Samsung Solstice) the limit is 300k. Just check the size of the MP3 on your desktop before uploading to your phone to make sure it is under the specified limit for your phone.

After you are done, remember to go back to preferences and change your iTunes import settings back to their original settings and to also deselect the Start Time and Stop Time boxes in the info pane.