How Do I Make a Ringtone in Garageband?

Apple’s been enjoying a nice “halo effect” with their iPhones and iPads. With all the people purchasing those devices, many of them are also making the switch to using Macs as their primary computer. One of my favorite things to show new Mac owners who started with an iPhone is how to make a ringtone in GarageBand, Apple’s audio program that comes on every Mac.

The first step is to find a sound that you want to use that is non-copyrighted. Once you have the sound you want, open GarageBand and select iPhone Ringtone from the menu on the lefthand side of the screen that pops up. To the right of that menu, you’ll see three icons that say “Example Ringtone,” “Loops,” and “Voice,” respectively. Select “Loops” and then click the “Choose” button in the lower-righthand side of the screen.

Once you’ve done that, you should be prompted to name the ringtone, asked where you want to keep it, set the tempo, signature, beats-per-minute and key. The only thing you need to change from the default is the name. Give it a name descriptive enough that you’ll be able to find it in a list. “Ringtone 1,” for example, isn’t descriptive, but “Fluffy Barking” is (if, in fact, the sound is your dog Fluffy barking).

Once you hit “Create” the main GarageBand window will open up and you’ll see four instruments listed on the lefthand side and their respective loops (small segments of their sounds) to the right. Click on the instrument on the right and click on “Track” from the menu bar and then click “Delete Track.” This can also be accomplished by selecting the instrument on the right, holding the command key and tapping the delete key.

After that, simply drag and drop your audio file into the GarageBand window and use the yellow bar towards the top of the screen (below the ruler-looking  bar) to adjust which part of the audio file you wish to use as your ringtone. You do this by clicking-and-dragging the ends of the bar to mark the beginning and end of the click you want. Hitting the play button on the bottom of the screen (the triangle pointing to the right) will play the part of the clip you’ve selected. This will help you fine-tune your timing. Remember, you only have 13 seconds for your ringtone length!

Once you’re happy with how your ringtone sounds, click on “Share” in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then select “Send Ringtone to iTunes.” GarageBand will work its magic, iTunes will open up, and the ringtone will be added to your library! Sync your iPhone and your ringtone will be added to the list of options.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Forgot how to change your iPhone’s ringtone? Tap on “Settings” (the icon that has grey gears on it) and then “Sounds.” You’ll be able to change all your sound settings there, including when you want a particular ringtone to be used.