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How make m4a Tone?
- Thread starter Paco II
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There is an app for iphone/ipad.
Select song then move sliders to highlight a section on the song you want and it saves a.m4r file.
plug into itunes download the file to computer and then sync file back to phone/ipad and there now in settings can set it as ringtone or text tone.
Will find out app from my fiancee she uses it a lot.
Select song then move sliders to highlight a section on the song you want and it saves a.m4r file.
plug into itunes download the file to computer and then sync file back to phone/ipad and there now in settings can set it as ringtone or text tone.
Will find out app from my fiancee she uses it a lot.
Let me clarify: I've been making my own m4r ringtones for a long time. These files, in iTunes, are listed as type 'Ringtone', and in iOS sounds settings are grouped with all other ringtones. I recently bought a tone from the app store. When I view this tone in iTunes, it is listed as a kind 'Tone', and the file type is m4a. Additionally, on my iPhone, in the sound settings, it is grouped with alerts, not ringtones.
My question is whether or not it is possible for us to create m4a Tones, or if that is restricted to iTunes purchases, and we are limited to making m4r Ringtones?
My question is whether or not it is possible for us to create m4a Tones, or if that is restricted to iTunes purchases, and we are limited to making m4r Ringtones?
My fiancee has the clip from despicable me the movie where the girl hugs the unicorn and says how soft it is.
This is her ringtone when I call her, yes I know women are strange.
anyway she used an app to create the ringtone and in settings she can set any tone she makes as an alert or ringtone.
This is her ringtone when I call her, yes I know women are strange.
anyway she used an app to create the ringtone and in settings she can set any tone she makes as an alert or ringtone.
I am confused.... You say you have been creating ringtones but want to know if it is possible to create an m4a file.
To create a ringtone you first have to change an MP3 file into an m4a file and then rename that m4a file to an m4r ringtone.
Apple removed the ability in iTunes 12 and as such to go from an MP3 to an m4r is now a complex feature involving shortening an MP3 file then changing it to an m4a using an AAC Encoder then renaming it to m4a.
I have been doing this for some time. Read this to help you:- http://www.switchingtomac.com/tutorials/how-to-convert-an-mp3-or-m4a-file-to-an-iphone-ringtone/. And https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4097879?start=15&tstart=0
I'm clearly not explaining myself well 
I've created many ringtones. They are all m4r files, and a 'Kind' of 'Ringtone' in iTunes. When viewing these files in my iPhone, all these are grouped as ringtones in the sounds settings.
I bought an alert tone in the app store. I synced the file to iTunes on my Mac. When viewing the file info for it, it is a 'Kind' of 'Tone', and the file type is m4a. I was puzzled by this. Additionally, in the iPhone sound settings, this tone is grouped with tones, not ringtones.
I want to know if it is possible for us to create files with a kind of 'Tone', not 'Ringtone', so it is grouped correctly.
I've created many ringtones. They are all m4r files, and a 'Kind' of 'Ringtone' in iTunes. When viewing these files in my iPhone, all these are grouped as ringtones in the sounds settings.
I bought an alert tone in the app store. I synced the file to iTunes on my Mac. When viewing the file info for it, it is a 'Kind' of 'Tone', and the file type is m4a. I was puzzled by this. Additionally, in the iPhone sound settings, this tone is grouped with tones, not ringtones.
I want to know if it is possible for us to create files with a kind of 'Tone', not 'Ringtone', so it is grouped correctly.
Nope, you have said that same thing three times now.I'm clearly not explaining myself well
I've created many ringtones. They are all m4r files, and a 'Kind' of 'Ringtone' in iTunes. When viewing these files in my iPhone, all these are grouped as ringtones in the sounds settings.
I bought an alert tone in the app store. I synced the file to iTunes on my Mac. When viewing the file info for it, it is a 'Kind' of 'Tone', and the file type is m4a. I was puzzled by this. Additionally, in the iPhone sound settings, this tone is grouped with tones, not ringtones.
I want to know if it is possible for us to create files with a kind of 'Tone', not 'Ringtone', so it is grouped correctly.
You downloaded an alert tone (which turned out to be a m4a file), and you were puzzled why it is not a ringtone (m4r)?
What you have not said, is which kind of tone YOU wanted originally - alert tone, or ring tone?
If you wanted an alert tone, and that is what you bought, it should not be too puzzling, eh?
The m4a file can be changed to m4r simply by renaming the file.
The file extension (.m4r) would be recognized correctly as a ringtone, would it not?
More succinctly, how do I create a tone that iTunes/ iOS recognizes as a Tone, as opposed to a Ringtone?
Nope, you have said that same thing three times now.
You downloaded an alert tone (which turned out to be a m4a file), and you were puzzled why it is not a ringtone (m4r)?
What you have not said, is which kind of tone YOU wanted originally - alert tone, or ring tone?
If you wanted an alert tone, and that is what you bought, it should not be too puzzling, eh?
The m4a file can be changed to m4r simply by renaming the file.
The file extension (.m4r) would be recognized correctly as a ringtone, would it not?
I'm sorry but I think it is you that is getting confused.
A 'Tone' is a 'Tone' whether that be a Ringtone, Text Tone, New `Voicemail Tone, New Mail Tone, etc, etc. They are all 'Tones'.
You know how to make the tone as you have said previously you have done and I also gave links in how to make iTunes select the AAC Encoder as opposed to MP3 Encoder. So all you need to do is once they have been copied onto your iPhone via iTunes you then go in to Settings/Sounds & Haptics then pick which section you want your tone to use.
The 'Tone' you copied will be showing in all the different tone sections.
In iOS, sounds are grouped into two categories: Tones and Ringtones. All sounds I've created, m4r files, are grouped as a ringtone.
I thought that Tones were only the stock files, until I recently purchased one in the iTunes store and it shows as a Tone / m4a. I'd love to be able to group my alerts with Tones. Is this possible?
Based on the replies I am thinking it is not.
I thought that Tones were only the stock files, until I recently purchased one in the iTunes store and it shows as a Tone / m4a. I'd love to be able to group my alerts with Tones. Is this possible?
Based on the replies I am thinking it is not.
An m4a file is not a tone, it is a file extension for an audio file encoded with advanced audio coding (AAC) which is a lossy compression.
To utilise this m4a file as a tone you have to change its file extension from m4a to m4r as previously discussed.
M4r files are the stock tones and are used for any of the tones you wish to use on your iPhone.
So what happens if you change the extension for it to what you want (either a tone or a ringtone)?
That is the get info window on the tone file, within iTunes (mac). As you can see, it is a Tone m4a. And in ios, it is grouped with Tones, not Ringtones.
I'd like to group some of my created tones with Tones and not Ringtones. That's what prompted me to create this thread. I am thinking it is not possible other than by purchased tones.
I'd like to group some of my created tones with Tones and not Ringtones. That's what prompted me to create this thread. I am thinking it is not possible other than by purchased tones.
An aac audio file is turned into a Ringtone by changing the extension from m4a to m4r. I'm trying to see if it is possible to create an Alert Tone, not Ringtone.
An 'Alert Tone' is just a name, it's a tone' be that a Ringtone, Text Tone, Mail Tone, etc, etc. They are all tones.
What differs from a Ringtone to any other tone is the length of the audio file. You wouldn't use a 30sec audio file as an email notification but you may use it as something to play for a long time ~ as in as a Ringtone.
All tones are stored together and accessed by each section in the Sounds & Haptics.
In other words if you created a 15sec m4r file and named it 'Willy Wonker', that file would be listed for use as a Ringtone, Text Tone, Mail Tone, etc, etc.
Any purchased Tones need to be transferred to a finder window, renamed m4r, then double clicked to add to the Tones folder in iTunes, then synced onto your iPhone.
If an m4a file is detected as an alert tone, not a ring tone, then there must be a type field in the file header. If you can find the field, you should be able to change the file type to "alert tone" using a hex editor.
Of course, finding where the type field is located, its length, and what to fill in to change its type to "alert tone" is going to take some work. You might try some of the sites and forums that specialize in audio file manipulation. The foobar2000 and audacity sites are two places I would try. There are undoubtedly others.
From what I am seeing, you are incorrect. Apparently there are two kinds of tones, Alert Tones and Ringtones. These tones are even grouped differently based are their 'Kind' field, as shown in my previous screenshot.
My conclusion at this point is that we, the users, are limited in our ability to only create Ringtones, and such all our tones will be grouped only within the Ringtones section.
To the previous post, you are almost certainly correct that the metadata is there somewhere, but not easily found or tweaked.
My conclusion at this point is that we, the users, are limited in our ability to only create Ringtones, and such all our tones will be grouped only within the Ringtones section.
To the previous post, you are almost certainly correct that the metadata is there somewhere, but not easily found or tweaked.
I am incorrect in that you are wanting to place an Alert Tone in an Alert Tone section.
But I have to ask why do you need to place it in the Alert Tones section when you can easily rename it an m4r file and place it in the Ringtones section then use it as an Alert Tone.