I would suggest GarageBand for iOS. Get the file onto your iPhone, either through iCloud, or email it to yourself, or using something like OneDrive or dropbox. Once the file is on your iPhone, use GarageBand to convert it into a ringtone on your iPhone.
I have always transferred ring tones to my iPhone using iTunes. Don't know if iTunes or the new Apple Music app will do that any more.
In either case, one always needed to convert the format to M4A and then rename that to M4R for some reason. Would be nice if one could just pop an MP3 file over to the phone either by e-mail, Dropbox, etc.
As I understand things, iTunes/Apple Music/the current macOS/iPhone interface will no longer allow you to import ringtones ... if you use VoiceOver. I am not sure exactly when GarageBand became viable for importing ringtones directly onto the iPhone, but yes you can do that now. You can import anything from MP3 and up, and convert it directly into a ringtone. There are steps to do this somewhere around here on AppleVis.
Alternatively, there are guides you can find through Google as well.
I found an app that can do this as well; called Ringtones Maker - the Ring App. It's completely accessible and you can even extract audio from a video. You'll need to have the file on your iPhone, and this app will place your custom ringtone in GarageBand history as soon as you click "Make" and go through the share sheet. It's a little less complex now than it was years ago. Hope this helps!
The fact that the new windows apps aren't possible able to do that isn't a good news at all. I have a mac and even before that I would never have installed itunes again as this app has become soo painful to use, I was late to know the smooth period of the app on windows :( .
Here’s the process I use for making ringtones on my Windows PC and transferring them on my iPhone. I am a metal head and was disappointed to find no heavy metal themed ringtones so I made my own as well as ringtones from classic rock favorites.
1. I put the music in a mp3 file, either from a ripped CD or from a download from a YouTube video. Various services will convert YouTube videos into MP3 files.
2. I then take the mp3 file and edit it in the program MP3 direct Cut. This program is non-destructive to mp3 files, meaning it does not decompress and recompress them each time they are opened, causing a degradation in sound quality. The program allows the end user to find the exact spot in an audio recording to place the edit. It also offers the ability to fade in and fade out, which is good because sometimes the best part of the song is in the middle, such as the Beach Boys song “god only Knows.” The max ringtone length is 30 seconds so the music needs to be attention getting and memorable. The program has keyboard shortcuts and I have an audio tutorial.
3. After the 30 second ringtone is created in a mp3 file, it must be converted to a m4r file, which is Apple’s version of a ringtone file. I use an online audio converter and just search the internet for a mp3 to m4r converter. The available converters change often. I upload my file, it is converted in seconds, and I then download the m4r file.
4. I then use a windows program called Waltr Pro to transfer the m4r file to the iPhone. I do not like iTunes and also use this program to transfer my music collection to my iPhone.
My custom ringtones turn heads and get attention when I receive a call. I also know my phone is ringing when I am in a room with other iPhone users. I know it can only be me when I hear the guitar solo from the Scorpions China White start playing or the main rift in Metallica’s “the Four Horsemen.”
By far the best way to do this IMO is with the iMazing app if you've got a Mac. There is a Windows version but I've heard it's not as good? Could probably still use it; ringtone transfer is a pretty basic feature.
On Windows, iTunes is needed to copy and paste the M4R file into the Tones section of the app, and the file can be up to 40 seconds. I'm using a 38-second one at the moment. As to how to convert MP3 files to M4R, currently I use the following website which both offers a simple interface and retains the high quality of MP3 files in the converted M4R ones: https://www.movavi.com/audio-converter/convert-mp3-to-m4r.html
HTH.
Comments
GarageBand
I would suggest GarageBand for iOS. Get the file onto your iPhone, either through iCloud, or email it to yourself, or using something like OneDrive or dropbox. Once the file is on your iPhone, use GarageBand to convert it into a ringtone on your iPhone.
What didn't know garageband…
What didn't know garageband could do that. Shame why can't we do it with voice memo?
Re: Adding ring tone to iPhone
Apple certainly has never made this easy!
I have always transferred ring tones to my iPhone using iTunes. Don't know if iTunes or the new Apple Music app will do that any more.
In either case, one always needed to convert the format to M4A and then rename that to M4R for some reason. Would be nice if one could just pop an MP3 file over to the phone either by e-mail, Dropbox, etc.
--Pete
Some answers
As I understand things, iTunes/Apple Music/the current macOS/iPhone interface will no longer allow you to import ringtones ... if you use VoiceOver. I am not sure exactly when GarageBand became viable for importing ringtones directly onto the iPhone, but yes you can do that now. You can import anything from MP3 and up, and convert it directly into a ringtone. There are steps to do this somewhere around here on AppleVis.
Alternatively, there are guides you can find through Google as well.
HTH.
Ringtones Maker - The Ring App
I found an app that can do this as well; called Ringtones Maker - the Ring App. It's completely accessible and you can even extract audio from a video. You'll need to have the file on your iPhone, and this app will place your custom ringtone in GarageBand history as soon as you click "Make" and go through the share sheet. It's a little less complex now than it was years ago. Hope this helps!
peter
Using iTunes in my windows PC and no issues. Was able to add several songs that someone change it for me. It was OK.
The fact that the new…
The fact that the new windows apps aren't possible able to do that isn't a good news at all. I have a mac and even before that I would never have installed itunes again as this app has become soo painful to use, I was late to know the smooth period of the app on windows :( .
windows Apps I use
Here’s the process I use for making ringtones on my Windows PC and transferring them on my iPhone. I am a metal head and was disappointed to find no heavy metal themed ringtones so I made my own as well as ringtones from classic rock favorites.
1. I put the music in a mp3 file, either from a ripped CD or from a download from a YouTube video. Various services will convert YouTube videos into MP3 files.
2. I then take the mp3 file and edit it in the program MP3 direct Cut. This program is non-destructive to mp3 files, meaning it does not decompress and recompress them each time they are opened, causing a degradation in sound quality. The program allows the end user to find the exact spot in an audio recording to place the edit. It also offers the ability to fade in and fade out, which is good because sometimes the best part of the song is in the middle, such as the Beach Boys song “god only Knows.” The max ringtone length is 30 seconds so the music needs to be attention getting and memorable. The program has keyboard shortcuts and I have an audio tutorial.
3. After the 30 second ringtone is created in a mp3 file, it must be converted to a m4r file, which is Apple’s version of a ringtone file. I use an online audio converter and just search the internet for a mp3 to m4r converter. The available converters change often. I upload my file, it is converted in seconds, and I then download the m4r file.
4. I then use a windows program called Waltr Pro to transfer the m4r file to the iPhone. I do not like iTunes and also use this program to transfer my music collection to my iPhone.
My custom ringtones turn heads and get attention when I receive a call. I also know my phone is ringing when I am in a room with other iPhone users. I know it can only be me when I hear the guitar solo from the Scorpions China White start playing or the main rift in Metallica’s “the Four Horsemen.”
I use to use a program on…
I use to use a program on windows called Syncios.
I'm not sure how accessible it is now, it was somewhat fiddly when I used it last.
You would still need to convert files to m4r, easy enough to do with a website like online converter dot com.
But the program allowed you to easily transfer the file to the phone.
Using the program on the other hand, isn't as straight forward.
RE: Adding ringtone to iPhone
By far the best way to do this IMO is with the iMazing app if you've got a Mac. There is a Windows version but I've heard it's not as good? Could probably still use it; ringtone transfer is a pretty basic feature.
Definitely doable on Windows
On Windows, iTunes is needed to copy and paste the M4R file into the Tones section of the app, and the file can be up to 40 seconds. I'm using a 38-second one at the moment. As to how to convert MP3 files to M4R, currently I use the following website which both offers a simple interface and retains the high quality of MP3 files in the converted M4R ones: https://www.movavi.com/audio-converter/convert-mp3-to-m4r.html
HTH.