Guides

How to make a ringtone on iPhone from any song

iPhone won’t let any app set your ringtone directly — every method ends in Apple’s free GarageBand app. The part that takes the time is cutting the right 30 seconds. Here’s the whole process, start to finish, no computer needed.

What you need

  • The song as a file you own — an MP3, M4A, WAV or similar in the Files app. Songs streamed from Apple Music are copy-protected and can’t be turned into ringtones.
  • GarageBand, free from Apple.
  • About two minutes.

Step 1 — Cut the part you want

A ringtone can be up to 30 seconds long, so pick the moment you want to hear when your phone rings — usually the chorus.

  1. In Tonecut, tap Make a ringtone and pick your song from Files.
  2. Drag the two handles around the part you want. Pinch the waveform to zoom in and cut right on the beat, and add a short Fade in and Fade out so it doesn’t start or stop abruptly.
  3. Tap Ringtone. It’s saved in the Files app, in On My iPhone › Tonecut.

Step 2 — Turn it into a ringtone in GarageBand

  1. Open GarageBand. Touch and hold its icon, then tap Create New Audio Recording.
  2. Tap the Tracks button, then the Loops button at the top right.
  3. Tap Files › Browse items from the Files app and pick your ringtone in On My iPhone › Tonecut.
  4. Touch and hold the file, then drag it all the way to the left.
  5. Tap ▾ at the top left, then My Songs. Touch and hold the new song, then tap Share › Ringtone › Export.
  6. Tap Use sound as › Standard Ringtone.

That’s it — your phone now rings with your song. GarageBand makes ringtones of up to 30 seconds and offers to shorten a longer one.

Use it for texts, alarms or one contact

  • Text tone: Settings › Sounds & Haptics › Text Tone, then pick it from the Ringtones list.
  • Alarm: in the Clock app, edit an alarm, tap Sound and pick it under Ringtones.
  • One person: in Contacts, tap Edit on a contact, then Ringtone.

Common questions

Can I use a song from Apple Music? No. Apple Music tracks are copy-protected, so no app can edit them. Use a song file you own.

Why can’t an app just set the ringtone for me? iOS doesn’t allow it. On the iPhone itself only GarageBand and Apple’s Tone Store can add a ringtone (a Mac or PC can also sync one over a cable), so any ringtone app ends in GarageBand.

Do I need a computer? No. Everything above happens on the iPhone.

More help is in the Support & FAQ.