Create a Ringtone in iTunes 11

Have you ever wanted to create a Ringtone with one of your iTunes tracks?  Here is how in iTunes 11.

1.) The first step, and the step a lot of tutorials leave out, is that you need to check your CD import settings.  I know you aren't importing a CD, but whatever you have set as the default file format is the option that you are going to see in forthcoming steps.

2.) So, go to iTunes menu --> Preferences

3.) Once Preferences opens then make sure you are on the general tab and click on "Import Settings"

4.) Make sure it is set to use the AAC encoder option; your choice on the quality setting.

***This sets what you will see when you right click a song and choose to convert

5.) Now, find the song you want to create a ringtone from and right click and choose Get info

6.) On the pursuant screen, you will want to be on the Options tab and set the Start Time and End Time to a 30 second span that you would like to be your ringtone

7.) Now right click on the song and choose Create AAC Version. This creates an file that is shrunk to the 30 seconds you need for a ringtone.  If you don't see Create AAC Version but see something like Create MP3 Version then go back to steps 1-4; I really meant it when I said you had to do that.

8.) You will now have a second copy; albeit 30 seconds long.  Right click on the 30 second version and choose Show in Finder.

9.) Make sure the file is highlighted in the Finder window and press Enter.  This will allow you to change the filename.  Change only the file extension from .m4a to .m4r

***It will prompt and warn about changing the extension.  You know what you are doing so go ahead :-)

10.) Now, leaving the finder window open, go back to iTunes, right click and delete the song from iTunes, but choose to keep the file.

11.) Now switch back to your Finder window and double click the .m4r file you created.  It should automatically import into iTunes and you should be able to find it under the Tones section.

12.) The last step is to hook up your Phone and tell it to sync your tones to said phone.

13.) Once on the phone, you can change to your new tone by going to Settings --> Sounds --> Ringtone and it should appear at the top of the list.