Q: I can't add m4r files to itunes.

The file must be in aac/.m4a format before you change the extension to .m4r. I take it the Tones source is enabled under iTunes > Preferences > General.

tt2

Chances are there is a fault with the file. iTunes will often silently reject any file it doesn't like.

tt2

I'm having the same issue. It worked just fine on my PC but now I'm using a Macbook Pro and it will not go into the Tones folder.

Just figured it out. Create AAC version in iTunes. Drag it to your desktop. Change the extension from m4a to m4r to make it a ringtone. Then drag it into your rintone folder in finder and when you double click on it, it will be in the tones folder! YAY!!!

Yes! This suggestion worked! 
For some reasons Apple automatically create Duplicate files under your Itunes Folder. I'll list the steps to find your "TRUE" m4r files (check that under Get Info, your File's "Kind" should be "Ringtone" and not "Apple MPEG-4 Audio" when you first change the extension to .m4r)

Assuming you did all the above and located the .m4a file.

1) change the m4a file to m4r as suggested (rename to whatever you like but change the ext to .m4r).

2) Double click the changed m4r file.

3) iTunes will start playing your file (this means it's correct)

4) Locate your iTunes default music folder --> usually in your Default "MUSIC" folder

5) Navigate to "iTunes Media"

6) Navigate to "Tones" (notice your TRUE m4r files added here by iTunes automatically) these TRUE m4r files will now have their "Kind" info as "Ringtone".

7) Drag these files into your Ringtone Sidebar in your iTunes program and VOILA!

8) Don't forget to SYNC your iphone to iTunes under "Tones" tab above.... and wait for the magic.

Thank you somegirl74 for your extended tips

Oops sorry! It's actually rather complicated... got the steps above from number 3 wrong.
Restart >>

Full correct steps should be like this :

• 1) Select a favourite song in iTunes to be made into Ringtone.
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• 2) Get Info on that song and make any 0:30 seconds portion of that song.
  (specify Start & Stop time to 30-seconds long and click OK)
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• 3) Right-click or Ctrl-Click again on same song and select "Create AAC Version"
  (when done iTunes will create a Chime)
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• 4) to locate the created m4a file easily, Ctrl-Click again on same song and select "Show in Finder"
  (iTunes will automatically point the location of the original mp3 & the newly created m4a files)
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• 5) change the m4a file to m4r as suggested...
  (rename to whatever you like but must change the extension to .m4r)
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• 6) At this point, the m4r(original) file isn't a "Ringtone" file yet... which we'll need to change now)
  (check under "Get Info" – "Kind" :  it's still "Apple MPEG-4 Audio")
  1st by dragging that newly changed m4r(original) file to somewhere out of that same default folder it was created by iTunes...
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  { this is where most confusions occur, take note here, it gets rather complicated }
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• 7) Once it's outside of that folder, Double Click the m4r(original) file and iTunes will play
  (u can stop it immediately...) this is just to let iTunes automatically convert that m4r(ori) file into a new duplicate and places it inside the initial default folder where the original mp3 file is kept.
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• 8) Locate that duplicate m4r(new & true) file, in the same mp3 folder and now DUPLICATE-Drag (press Option while dragging to get the "+" sign) it to the "TONES" folder in your default apple folder structure. (check that under Get Info, your new m4r File's "Kind" should be "Ringtone")
  //to get to that "TONES" Folder : First Locate your iTunes default music folder --> usually in your Default "MUSIC" folder --> Navigate to "iTunes Media"  --> Navigate to "Tones".
  Keep this window open to make the transfer manually.
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• 9) Once your duplicate is inside the "Tones" folder, double-click on that duplicate m4r(true) file and let iTunes play, it should automatically place that bloodycomplicated file into the "Ringtone" sidebar List in iTunes program (check program to see)
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• 10) There you go. Now you can Sync / Delete / Add the whole Ringtone contents to your iPhone as you wish. //Don't forget to set SYNC on the iphone to iTunes under "Tones" tab in your iTunes - iPhone screen... and click SYNC button & wait for the magic.

( Finally you can check inside your iPhone "Sounds" settings and hopefully if all steps done correctly, the bloodycomplicatedringtone selection will be there. Enjoy!

Thank you!!!!!! A note for step 8 (for iTunes 11.0.4+) the "Tones" folder was not visible for me, so I made a new folder and named it "Tones" and it worked! Thanks again!!!!

Works perfectly.  I wish I could say I'm surprised that Apple has made this process so extremely annoying. If I own a song I should be able to use it as my ringtone without going through a 10 step rigmarole.

Everything seems right. File is ringtone, m4r, in the original spot, but then when I drag it into the tones window nothing. And when I add it manually into the Tones folder in Finder, it does not appear in iTunes. If I double-click to play while in Tones in Finder, it plays in iTunes from the music library and then disappears before my eyes from the Tones folder. I'm at a loss sense everything else seems perfect.

I got it right. In step 8, copy past the m4r ringtone form and to the same folder. And THEN drag the duplicate to the iTunes library, and it will be there under tones. Uff.

---fomer message:---

That happens to me as well!

And when I drag it directly to my iPhone Tones folder it stays there but greyed out.

I've gotten this to work for several files, but now I've got one that simply won't stay in my Tones folder. After converting it to an m4r on my desktop I opened the iTunes Tones folder in Finder and dragged the file into it. No problem there. However, as soon as I double-click it in Finder...POOF! It dissapears from the Tones folder and magically reappears in the album folder for the original source file. And if I changed the name, that reverts back to the name of the source file as well. Even if I delete the album name in File Info then it jumps into the Unkown Album folder instead of the source file's album folder. I guess Apple has something behind the scenes that knows what the source file is and won't let you make a ringtone out of it in some cases. It could be because I didn't originally purchase this one from iTunes, but it's been so long I don't even remember.