Jan

Import custom ringtones to iPhone via iTunes (no jailbreaking required)

If you happen to read my previous post, you might be thinking: what is the hack for cydia, openssh, fugu and jailbreaking. All sound very crippy...

Now, I present you the simplest custom ringtone solution for iPhone. Not sure it has been out on the net or not. Anyway, the procedure I will describe as simple as 1-2-3, and definitely no hacking or jailbreaking involved.

The principle behind is to import your music into iTunes as Ringtones and transfer to iPhone during a normal sync - of course, you have to enable the "Ringtone sync".

Step 1, create music file suitable for iTunes import.

* Find any mp3 file or even wave file you would like to use as ringtone.

* Find an audio editing program which handles aac format on your platform - there are plenty. I am using TwistedWave for Mac OS X, since it is the second hit when I google "audio editor mac aac". It has 30-day full function trial, good enough for ringtone editing, which takes minutes.

* Import the mp3 into the software. Edit it. Make sure the length is less than 30 seconds. I recommend to normalize the audio, to enhance the start if it is weak, and to fade out at the end.

* Save the edited audio as AAC format, which should have an extension like m4a. In TwistedWave, it is kind strange. I have to save as the "MPEG4 Audio" for iTunes to recognize the file, not the "AAC Audio", which ends like aac.

Step 2, import the file into iTunes.

* For example, your file is xxxx.m4a. Rename it to xxxx.m4r .

* Drag the newly named file into iTunes - Ringtone tab.

* Edit the ringtone's metadata informations just like you normally do with other mp3 files.

Step 3, sync your iPhone and enjoy the new ringtone.

It shows in a separated box as the ringtones we uploaded before. The method before is to add ringtones to the system folder, and this time is to add them into a user defined folder. Either way works.