How to Turn My Music Into a Ringtone

by Angela M. Wheeland
Create your own ring tones using Windows Media Player or iTunes.

Create your own ring tones using Windows Media Player or iTunes.

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Creating your own ring tones for your cell phone allows you to customize your phone to your musical interests. Cell phones generally accept MP3, WAV and WMA file formats as ring tones. Both Windows Media Player and iTunes give you the ability to edit and convert songs into ring tones. Converting a song to a ring tone in iTunes is straightforward; however, creating ring tones in Windows Media Player is a bit more involved and requires that you download a plug-in.

Windows Media Player

Step 1

Download SolveigMultimedia's "WMP Trimmer Plug-in" using the link provided in the Resources section of this article. Install the plug-in on your computer using the default settings.

Step 2

Open Widows Media Player and click the arrow under "Now Playing." Select "Plug-ins" and make sure that the "WMP Trimmer Plug-in" is enabled. A check mark will appear to the left of the plug-in's name if it is enabled.

Step 3

Click "Library" and choose the song you wish to convert to a ring tone. Click "Now Playing" to switch to the editing screen.

Step 4

Listen to the song and click on "Click to Start" at the point you want your ring tone to begin. Alternatively, you can adjust the starting point by moving the slider bar at the bottom of the plug-in.

Step 5

Click the "Click to End" button at the point you want the ring tone to end. You can also change the ring tone's endpoint by moving the slider bar at the bottom of the plug-in.

Step 6

Click the "In" button to save the ring tone to your computer. Choose a file name and a destination and then click "Save." Your ring tone is now ready to be transferred to your phone.

iTunes

Step 1

Open iTunes and play the song you'd like to convert to a ring tone. Listen to the song and note the portion of the song you want included in the ring tone. Write down the beginning and ending times.

Step 2

Right-click the song you want to convert to a ring tone and click "Get Info." Click the "Options" tab and enter the beginning and ending times. Place a check mark in both boxes next to "Start Time" and "Stop Time." Click "OK."

Step 3

Click the "Edit" menu at the top of iTunes and select "Preferences." Click the "Import Settings" button and change the import to the type of file required for your phone. If your phone accepts MP3 ring tones, select "MP3." If your phone does not accept MP3 ring tones, select "AAC Encoder." Click "OK" to close the box and accept the settings.

Step 4

Right-click the song and select "Create MP3 Version" or "Create AAC Version" and iTunes will create a copy of the song using the parameters you've selected.

Step 5

Right-click the new, smaller version of the song and click "Show in Windows Explorer." This opens the file's location on your computer. If your ring tone is in AAC format, change its file extension from .m4a to .m4r by right-clicking the file and selecting "Rename." Your ring tone is now ready to be transferred to your cell phone.

About the Author

Angela M. Wheeland specializes in topics related to taxation, technology, gaming and criminal law. She has contributed to several websites and serves as the lead content editor for a construction-related website. Wheeland holds an Associate of Arts in accounting and criminal justice. She has owned and operated her own income tax-preparation business since 2006.

Photo Credits

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