Ringtones won't keep name, and move

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Level 2

197 points

Ringtones won't keep name, and move

I've made 2 ringtones from songs in my library. The last step after extracting the music from the m2a file is to rename the file extension to m4r. So far so good. They are in my Tones folder in iTunes. I then rename the files, keeping the m4r extension. If I play one of the ring tones, iTunes launches and plays it. So far so good. However, iTunes also renames the file back to the name it has before I changed it. The m4r extension is not changed. And with one of the files iTunes moves (not copies) it back to its original folder, in addition to renaming it.

How do I break the associativity between the new file names and the old names, and also keep the one file in the Tones folder?

Posted on May 3, 2017 6:38 PM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

278,351 points

May 4, 2017 12:40 PM in response to DesertRatR

For OS X there are some subtle differences to the strategy I normally recommend for Windows.

Create a ringtone in iTunes

Select a track to use as the source.
On the Get Info > Options tab set start and stop times less than 40 seconds apart.
Under Edit > Preferences > General tab > Import Settings choose AAC Encoder > High Quality 128k.
Use File > Convert > Create AAC version.
Reset the start and stop times on the original track.
Right-click on the new copy and click Show in Finder Windows Explorer.
Change the file extension from .m4a to .m4r. (You may need to adjust folder options to see the extensions.)
Delete the now redundant entry to the file that you will move which OS X otherwise keeps connected to the library, but don't send to trash.
Move the file into the Automatically Add to iTunes folder, it will be added to the Tones section of the library.

tt2

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Answer 2

DesertRatR Author

Level 2

197 points

May 3, 2017 6:58 PM in response to DesertRatR

I discovered a work around. I right click the file and select QuickTime as the player. After going thru the security rigamarole QT plays it, doesn't change the name and doesn't move the one file.

Right click still shows iTunes as the default player for m4r files. I'd like to break that associativity and make QT the default player for all m4r files. How is that accomplished?

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Answer 3

DesertRatR Author

Level 2

197 points

May 4, 2017 1:13 PM in response to turingtest2

Your recipe sounds appears to be the approved and recommended method. I'll refer to this in the future, rather than my ad hoc work around. BTW, if I download a ringtone, can I manually place it in the Tones folder? Or is there so rigamarole to go thru for that also?

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

278,351 points

May 4, 2017 1:16 PM in response to DesertRatR

If it is already in a valid format just throw it into <Media Folder>/Automatically Add to iTunes, then iTunes will take care of adding it to the library and moving it into the Tones folder.

tt2

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