How to Make a Ringtone From Any Song (Android and iPhone)
By the DocEpic team · Updated · 3 min read
The default ringtones are the same on millions of phones. A favourite song, a line from a film or the sound of your child laughing is much nicer — and much easier to recognise in a crowded room. Making a ringtone only takes cutting the right 20 to 30 seconds and saving it in the format your phone wants. Here is how, for both Android and iPhone.
Cut your ringtone
Audio Cutter keeps the part of a song between a start and an end time and can save it straight as an iPhone ringtone.
- Open Audio Cutter and add the song — MP3, M4A, WAV or most other audio files.
- Play it and use Set to current time to mark the start and the end, or drag the sliders. Around 20 to 30 seconds is the usual length.
- Tick Fade in and Fade out, so the ringtone starts softly and doesn't stop abruptly.
- Choose MP3 for Android, or iPhone ringtone (M4R) for an iPhone, and download.
The song is cut in your browser, so it never leaves your phone or computer.
From a video, or too quiet?
If the sound you want is in a video — a clip from a wedding, a scene you recorded — save its sound first with Video to MP3, then cut it. If the ringtone is too quiet to hear in a pocket, make it louder with Change Volume before cutting; its limiter keeps loud parts from crackling. A song in an unusual format can be turned into MP3 with Audio Converter.
Set the ringtone on Android
Most Android phones let you pick a ringtone from your files: go to Settings → Sound (or Sounds and vibration) → Phone ringtone, then look for an option such as Add, Custom or From internal storage and choose the downloaded MP3. The exact menu names differ between Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and other makers. If the file doesn't appear, move it into the Ringtones folder in your phone's storage with the Files app.
Set the ringtone on an iPhone
iPhone ringtones have to be M4R files of at most 40 seconds, which is why the cutter has a separate iPhone option and limits the length. Apple doesn't let a website install a ringtone directly, so add it with a computer: connect the iPhone, open Finder on a Mac (or the Apple Devices app or iTunes on Windows), select the iPhone and drag the M4R file onto it. Then choose it in Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone.
Questions people ask
How long can a ringtone be?
iPhone ringtones can be at most 40 seconds. Android has no strict limit, but 20 to 30 seconds is usual.
What format do ringtones use?
Android plays MP3 ringtones. iPhones need an M4R file, which Audio Cutter can save directly.
Can I make a ringtone on my phone?
Yes. Audio Cutter works in the phone's browser. On an iPhone, the M4R file still has to be added through a computer.
Can I add a fade to my ringtone?
Yes. Tick Fade in and Fade out in Audio Cutter for a smooth start and end.