They say that the devices and operating systems of the Apple they are extremely closed platforms, which do not allow many modifications or customizations. But this is not really, and one of the things that many users may not know that Apple allows to create and add ringtones from macOS.
You can perform this procedure using the new application Music (Music) on the latest version of macOS, Catalina. A few months ago, Music replaced iTunes, so everything related to music now goes through this tool. That's why we're going to teach you how to create personalized ringtones for your iPhone.
Before we start …
The first thing to do is make sure the song or audio clip you want to use is in your music library. You cannot use DRM-protected files or tracks that are in your Apple Music account to create the ringtones. In addition, the process works on both the iPhone and the iPad or iPod touch.
You must have a DRM-free sound file that is downloaded locally to your computer. It can be a song you bought on iTunes or an audio file downloaded from another directory. Drag and drop the file into the Music application (or over the Music application icon in the dock) to import it into your library. As of now, we remember that the original copy of the music used in creating the ringtone will not be affected.
The maximum duration of an iOS ringtone is 40 seconds, but the maximum duration of an alarm or other audio alert is only 30 seconds. We recommend pasting 30-second clips to maximize compatibility, as you will likely answer the call long before the 40 seconds are up.
Now, let's create ringtones for macOS Catalina.
Step 1: Creating the ringtone file
At this point, you should already have the desired music or audio in mind, and that this file in MP3 or MP4 format (without DRM) is stored in your music library. Locate the file by searching or using the “Recently added” shortcut, if you imported it yourself.
(Photo: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek)
Right-click on the song you would like to use. Then, click on “Get information” and then on the “Options” tab. Enter the 30 second period in the "Start" and "Stop" boxes. Adjust the start and stop points of the touch, but make sure it does not take more than 30 seconds.
(Photo: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek)
At any time, you can click "OK" to save your changes and click play to hear your clip. When you are satisfied with your work, click "OK" one last time. Click on the song to select it and then go to File> Convert> Create AAC verse.
(Photo: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek)
The Music app will create a new version of your music in just 30 seconds. Once completed, it will start playing in the background, adding the track directly below the original version, with only the runtime differentiating the two versions.
Important: After creating the ringtone, go back to the original music and delete the start and stop points you marked to create the ringtone. Find the original song (it will be the version longer than 30 seconds), click the right mouse button, select “Get information” and then disable the “Start” and “Stop” checkboxes on the Options tab.
Step 2: Export and transfer the ringtone to your iPhone
You can now export the 30-second clip you just created by dragging the file to your desktop or right-clicking and choosing “Show in Finder”. To make sure you don't lose the file, put it somewhere safe before converting it to M4R.
This is a simple case of renaming the file and changing the file extension. IOS can only use .M4R files as ringtones, even though M4R and M4A are identical, in the sense that both are audio files encoded in AAC / MP4.
Right-click your M4A file and click "Rename". Fix the file name and change the file extension from “seuarquivo.M4A” to “seuarquivo.M4R” and, when prompted, choose “Use .m4r” in the dialog box that appears. We recommend creating a “Ringtone” folder in your Documents or Music to keep your M4R ringtone files, so that everything is in one place.
(Photo: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek)
Sync the file to your iPhone. On macOS Catalina, this is as simple as connecting your iPhone via the included Lightning-to-USB cable, launching the Finder and then searching the Finder sidebar under "Locations" for your iPhone. Click on your iPhone to open the sync window and then "Trust". Enter the iPhone password, if prompted, and enable the option "Manage music, movies and TV shows manually" on the General tab.
Now all you need to do is drag the .M4R file you just created and convert into the sync window. It will be synchronized almost immediately as it is very small. If you have trouble doing this, you can also sync in the Music app: select the desired iPhone listed in the "Devices" section of the sidebar, drag the .M4R file we just created and drop it anywhere in the sync window.
(Photo: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek)
Step 3: Using touch
(Photo: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek)
If you've done everything right so far, your new ringtone is waiting for you on your device. V for Settings> Sound and Touch> Touch. Your new custom tone appears at the top of the list. If not, try the synchronization process again.
You can also start the Clock app and create a new alarm at the touch, or use it as an alert for your timers. Apply a ringtone to a contact of your choice at Phone> Contacts. You can even create minor alert sounds and override the system defaults in Settings> Sound and Touch.
Optional: deleting a ringtone
Assuming you no longer want to have that touch in your gallery, iOS 13 offers the option to delete the file. Just log in Settings> Sound and Touch and, when selecting an item in the list, tap and drag from right to left to reveal the “Delete” option.
Source: How-To Geek
