Geekshow

MacGeek – Create Free iPhone Ringtones: The Tutorial

This is a guide on how to create ringtones using just GarageBand. It’s fast and easy!

You will need 3 things to get started:

GarageBand

iTunes

An Unprotected audio file

If you have a protected audio file from iTunes, follow this MacGeek guide to strip the DRM.

Open GarageBand and create a new project. Although what you name your project will ultimately become the newly created ringtone name, you can change the ringtone info once it is in iTunes.

Once opened, You will see a piano track has already been added for you.

Delete this track by selecting ‘Track’ from the menu bar and choosing ‘Delete Track.’

Then click the red X/dot and close the floating piano palette.

With your empty canvas waiting, choose the non-protected song from iTunes that you want as your ringtone, and drag it to GarageBand.

At the bottom push the Cycle Region button. The icon is the same as ‘repeat’ in iTunes.

Once selected, you will notice a thin gold bar added above the track. This bar can be moved and resized. Basically, whatever this gold bar covers will be your ringtone.

You can click the ‘Play’ icon to check it. The ringtone will repeat once it reaches the end. It’s an infinite loop. <points for that reference>

Once you are satisfied with the placement of the gold bar, choose ‘Share’ from the menu bar and then ‘Send Ringtone to iTunes.’

Look for the ‘Ringtones’ folder in iTunes. Rename track if you desire.

If you have never added ringtones to your iPhone, make sure when you sync that you do so under the ‘Ringtone’ tab in the iPhone settings. Just select the ‘Sync Ringtones’ and choose either all ringtones or just a select few.

Well there you go. A much better (read: cheaper) way to get ringtone on your iPhone. If you have audio file or download sound effects that you want as ringtones, this method is perfect for that too.

Happy Ringtoning!!