Import an M4R file to Ringtones

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Level 1

9 points

Import an M4R file to Ringtones

For what ever reason I can see the file in my Song List on my computer, if I search on it in My Music. After I drag it to my desktop, rename it as a m4r file and the icon changes to Ringtone.....I can't get it to my Ringtone Libratry. I've tried click and Drag, Add to Library, jsut about everything anyone has suggested on the Forums and nothing. If I click on it it opens and plays in iTunes, but I can only find it in My Music. I have copied it on my IPhone 4 as a Song...but can't get it to Ringtones...it's 29.5 seconds long I've tried everything, but as iTunes should automatically place it in my Ringtone Library it doesn't. H E L P! ! !

iPhone 4, iOS 4.3.3

Posted on Oct 4, 2011 9:29 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 30, 2017 10:16 PM in response to turingtest2

This did the trick for me. I've done everything else I was told. Once I changed the file name to a .m4r it would never sync to itunes or my phone. Once I opened the "automatically save add to itunes" folder and then dragged the file over I was able to sync the tone folder and it loaded onto the phone.

Something to add... When I dropped the file into the "automatically add to itunes" folder the file disappeared. It was no longer on my desk top and it didn't show in the folder. It didn't matter. Once I went to itunes and clicked into my device it was able to sync.

Thanks

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

272,749 points

Oct 4, 2011 12:45 PM in response to Migman911

Before you played around with the file on your desktop was it a 128k AAC file of less than 30 seconds duration? Having the stop time set short on a longer file won't help, and iTunes won't move files of the wrong format/bit rate into the Ringtones area even if Windows "thinks" it is now a ringtone becuase it has the m4r file extension.

Juts dropped some existing ringtone files into the Automatically add to iTunes folder to check there are no issues with the 10.4.1.10 build and they got added just fine.

tt2

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Answer 3

Migman911 Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 4, 2011 1:11 PM in response to turingtest2

The Original recording was a Voice Mail of 11 seconds..I copied it three times using Audacity and shortened the recording to 29.5 seconds...iTunes has not asked for a stop start time...it shows it as a 30 second recording. when I converted it to ACC file the conversion was set for iTunes Plus 128K ACC. I read that it might not work and then tried the Spoken Podcast Conversion and this too did not work. Any ideas why and or what else I can try?

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Answer 4

Migman911 Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 4, 2011 1:15 PM in response to Migman911

I forgot to mention the Original File is a WAV File.

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Answer 5

turingtest2

Level 10

272,749 points

Oct 4, 2011 1:20 PM in response to Migman911

Set your iTunes Import Settings (Edit > Preferences > General) to 128 ACC, then right-click on your existing file and select Create AAC Version. Might pay to set the stop time down to 29 seconds first just to be on the safe side. The resulting file should get properly detected once given the m4r extension and thrown into Automatically add to iTunes.

Just compared my voice memos to my ringtones. The voice memos are 64k mono, ringtones range from 128k-320k stereo, so perhaps it is mono vs. stereo that caused your problem.

tt2

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Answer 6

Migman911 Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 4, 2011 1:35 PM in response to turingtest2

The iTunes Plus is set to 128K ACC...I can set the ACC to High Quality or iTunes Plus which both use 128K,,,,.I used the Mic on my Laptop to record the Voice Mail and it is recorded in Stereo not Mono.....When you say thrown into Automatically add to iTunes...what does that refer too......

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Answer 7

turingtest2

Level 10

272,749 points

Oct 4, 2011 1:45 PM in response to Migman911

There should be a folder at the path ...\iTunes\iTunes Media\Automatically add to iTunes\ (or inside your designated media folder.) Dropping files in there is a quick way to add them to iTunes and ensure they get moved to the correct location, even if you normally organise your files by hand.

Just try getting iTunes to re-encode the file anyway, it can't hurt.

tt2

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Answer 8

Migman911 Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 4, 2011 2:10 PM in response to turingtest2

I'm lost...I'm very new to iTunes...I was using the "Add File to Library" and it won't add, then tried click and drag and that won't work...I've tried converting to both ACC 128K using iTunes Plus and High Quality...it doesn't help...I tried the Spoken PodCast setting to convert it to ACC...and nothing....iTunes has it as a 30 Second Song...but I can't get it to convert it or load it as a Ringtone....it's on my iPhone 4 as a Song.....but not a Ringtone...when I rename the m4a file to a m4r file it won't copy to iTunes only the m4a file does. Converting the m4a file to ACC using iTunes Plus should work, but it doesn't let me copy the file to iTunes. I can't find the folder path you are referring to I'm using 32 bit Windows 7...and that's relatively new for me as well. iTunes does recode the file to ACC then I drag it to my desktop, rename it to m4r and the Icon changes to an iTunes Ringtone Icon, if I click on it it opens and plays in iTunes, but I can't get it to copy it to the Ringtones Library.

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Answer 9

Migman911 Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 4, 2011 2:19 PM in response to Migman911

Just found a designation that says the file IS a mono file......how can I convert it to stereo?

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Answer 10

turingtest2

Level 10

272,749 points

Oct 4, 2011 2:21 PM in response to Migman911

Audacity should be able to manage that trick.

tt2

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Answer 11

Migman911 Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 4, 2011 2:49 PM in response to turingtest2

Well it's now a Stereo Recording, but still won't load in my Ringtones.....

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Answer 12

turingtest2

Level 10

272,749 points

Oct 4, 2011 3:39 PM in response to Migman911

Well I'm stumped for now. If anything else occurs to me I'll drop in...

tt2

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Answer 13

Migman911 Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 4, 2011 3:40 PM in response to Migman911

And it still won't copy over, but it plays. I looked at the about for the file and compared it to my other Ringtones made from songs and it shows the same information.but it shows them as Ringtones Low Complexity Stereo, and they are longer 29.80 seconds...mine is 29.58 seconds...but I'm looking at the m4a version....because I can't get the m4r version to save in iTunes

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