You can use any song from your music library as your iPhone ringtone, but the song must be 40 seconds or shorter

iPhone ringtones have a hard limit: they cannot be longer than 40 seconds. If you want to use a song you own, you'll need to trim it first using a computer, then move it to your phone through iTunes or the Files app. The process takes about five minutes once you understand the two separate steps — trimming the song and then setting it as your ringtone.

You cannot use songs from Apple Music or Spotify directly as ringtones. You can only use songs you own outright — either purchased from iTunes, ripped from a CD you own, or downloaded as an MP3 file. If you want to use a song from a streaming service, you'll need to record it separately or purchase it first.

Key Takeaways

  • Your ringtone song must be 40 seconds or shorter, so you'll need to trim longer songs on a computer before moving them to your phone.
  • You can only use songs you own — not songs from Apple Music, Spotify, or other streaming services.
  • After trimming, you'll convert the song to an M4R file (Apple's ringtone format) and move it to your phone through iTunes or the Files app.
  • Once the file is on your phone, you set it as your ringtone in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone.

Trim your song to 40 seconds or less on your computer

Open the song in iTunes on a Mac or PC. Right-click the song title and select "Get Info." Click the "Options" tab. You'll see two fields: "Start Time" and "Stop Time." The Stop Time field is what you need. Set it to 0:40 (40 seconds). Click OK. iTunes will not actually shorten the file yet — it only marks where the song should stop when you play it.

Now right-click the song again and select "Create AAC Version" (on Mac) or "Create MP3 Version" (on PC). iTunes will create a new, shorter file that is actually trimmed to 40 seconds. This new file will appear right below the original song in your library. You'll use this trimmed version for your ringtone, not the original.

If you don't have iTunes, you can use free software like Audacity (available for Mac and Windows). Open your song in Audacity, click at the 40-second mark on the timeline, then select everything after that point and delete it. Export the file as an MP3. The trimmed song is now ready for the next step.

Convert the trimmed song to M4R format

M4R is Apple's ringtone file format. Your trimmed song is currently an MP3 or AAC file, so you need to convert it. On a Mac, right-click the trimmed song in iTunes and select "Show in Finder." The file will open in a Finder window. Rename the file extension from .m4a or .mp3 to .m4r. When you press Enter, your Mac will ask if you're sure — click "Use .m4r." The file is now in ringtone format.

On a Windows PC, the process is the same: right-click the trimmed song in iTunes, select "Show in Windows Explorer," and rename the file extension to .m4r. If you don't see the file extension, open File Explorer, click the View tab at the top, and check the box next to "File name extensions."

If you trimmed your song in Audacity or another program, you'll need to convert it to M4A format first before renaming it to M4R. Online converters like CloudConvert or Zamzar can do this for free — upload your MP3, select M4A as the output format, and download the result. Then rename the M4A file to M4R as described above.

Move the M4R file to your iPhone through iTunes

Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable. Open iTunes. Click the iPhone icon in the top left corner of the iTunes window. Click "Tones" in the left sidebar. Drag your M4R file into the Tones window, or click the "Add File" button and browse to your M4R file. iTunes will copy the ringtone to your phone.

If you're using a newer Mac with macOS Catalina or later, iTunes no longer exists — use Finder instead. Connect your iPhone, open Finder, click your phone in the sidebar, click "Files," and drag your M4R file into the window. The file will sync to your phone.

If you don't want to use a computer, you can email the M4R file to yourself, open the email on your iPhone, and tap the file. Your phone will ask if you want to add it as a ringtone — tap "Add." This method works but is slower than using iTunes or Finder.

Set the song as your ringtone in Settings

Open Settings on your iPhone. Tap "Sounds & Haptics" (or just "Sounds" on older models). Tap "Ringtone." Your custom song should now appear at the top of the list. Tap it to select it. You'll hear a preview of the first few seconds. That's it — your ringtone is now set.

If you don't see your song in the Ringtone list, the M4R file didn't transfer correctly. Go back to your computer and try moving the file again through iTunes or Finder. Make sure the file extension is actually .m4r, not .m4a or .mp3.

Troubleshooting: Your song doesn't appear in the Ringtone list

The most common reason is that the file extension is wrong. On your computer, double-check that the file ends in .m4r, not .m4a or .mp3. If it's still wrong, rename it again and try syncing to your phone a second time.

Another reason is that the file didn't actually transfer. Disconnect your iPhone, wait 10 seconds, and reconnect it. In iTunes or Finder, click your phone again and check the Tones section. If the file still isn't there, drag it into the Tones window again.

If the song is longer than 40 seconds, your phone will reject it as a ringtone. Go back to your computer and trim it again, making sure the Stop Time is set to 0:40 or less. Create a new version and convert it to M4R.

Using a ringtone from the iTunes Store instead

If you want to avoid the trimming and converting steps, you can purchase ringtones directly from the iTunes Store. Open the iTunes Store app on your iPhone, tap the search icon, and search for "[Song Name] Ringtone." Many popular songs have official ringtone versions already trimmed and formatted. Tap the price button to purchase (usually 99 cents), then tap "Buy." The ringtone will download and automatically appear in your Ringtone list.

This method costs money but saves you the computer work. It's useful if you only want one or two ringtones and don't want to deal with file conversion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a song from Apple Music as my ringtone?

No. Apple Music songs are protected and cannot be used as ringtones. You must own the song outright — either purchased from iTunes, ripped from a CD, or downloaded as an MP3 file. If you want to use an Apple Music song, you'll need to purchase it separately from iTunes.

What if my song is longer than 40 seconds?

You must trim it to 40 seconds or shorter on your computer before moving it to your phone. Use iTunes, Audacity, or any audio editing software to cut the song down. Your iPhone will reject any ringtone file longer than 40 seconds.

Do I need a computer to set a custom ringtone?

Yes, you need a computer to trim the song and convert it to M4R format. You can email the M4R file to yourself and add it on your phone, but the initial trimming and conversion must happen on a Mac or Windows PC.

Will my custom ringtone stay if I update my iPhone?

Yes. Custom ringtones sync through iTunes or iCloud, so they'll stay on your phone after an update. If you restore your phone from a backup, the ringtone will come back with it.

Can I use a ringtone for text messages too?

Yes. After you set the song as your ringtone, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Text Tone and select the same song. You can use the same custom audio file for both calls and texts.