The fastest way: use a song already in your Music app

If the song is already on your iPhone in the Music app, you can set it as your ringtone in three steps. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone. Scroll down to Downloaded Sounds and tap the song you want. The checkmark shows it is now your ringtone.

This works only if the song is in your Music library — songs you bought from iTunes, added from Apple Music, or synced from your computer. Streaming-only songs from Spotify or other apps will not appear here, because your phone needs to store the audio file itself.

Key Takeaways

  • Songs in your Music app can become ringtones directly through Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone, with no extra steps.
  • Ringtones must be 40 seconds or shorter; if your song is longer, you will need to trim it first using GarageBand or a computer.
  • Songs you own (purchased or synced from your computer) work as ringtones; streaming-only songs from apps like Spotify do not.
  • To use a song not yet on your phone, you can add it through iTunes on a computer, or use GarageBand on your iPhone to create a ringtone file.

Trimming a song that is too long

Ringtones must be 40 seconds or shorter. If your song is longer, you need to trim it before it will appear in the Ringtone list. The easiest way on your iPhone is to use GarageBand, which is free and comes built in.

Open GarageBand, tap the + button, and choose Audio Recorder. Tap Browse at the bottom, find your song in Music, and tap it to import. The song appears as a track. Tap and drag the right edge of the track to shorten it to 40 seconds or less. Tap My Songs at the top left, then press and hold the recording until a menu appears. Choose Share > Ringtone > Export. Name it and tap Export. The ringtone is now in your phone's ringtone list.

Adding a song from your computer using iTunes

If you have a song file on your Windows or Mac computer, you can add it to your iPhone through iTunes (on Windows or older Macs) or Finder (on newer Macs). First, trim the song to 40 seconds or less using any audio editor, or use iTunes itself: right-click the song, choose Get Info, go to the Options tab, and set the stop time to 40 seconds or less.

Next, convert the file to AAC format so iTunes recognizes it as a ringtone. Right-click the song, choose Convert > Create AAC Version. iTunes creates a copy. Right-click the new copy, choose Show in Windows Explorer (or Show in Finder on Mac), and rename the file extension from .m4a to .m4r. Double-click the .m4r file to add it to iTunes.

Connect your iPhone to your computer. In iTunes or Finder, select your phone, go to Tones, and check the box next to Sync Tones. Select All Tones or Selected Tones and click explore. The ringtone syncs to your phone and appears in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone.

Using a song from Apple Music or iTunes Match

Songs you have access to through Apple Music or iTunes Match can become ringtones, but only if you read them to your phone first. Open Music, find the song, tap the … menu, and choose Add to Library if it is not already there. Then tap the … menu again and choose read. Wait for the read to finish — you will see a checkmark next to the song.

Once downloaded, the song behaves like any other song in your Music app. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone, scroll to Downloaded Sounds, and select it. If the song is longer than 40 seconds, trim it in GarageBand first using the steps above.

What to do if your song does not appear in the ringtone list

If you added a song to your Music app but it does not show up under Downloaded Sounds in the Ringtone menu, the most common reason is that it is a streaming-only song — one you can play but do not own. Spotify, YouTube Music, and some Apple Music songs fall into this category. These cannot become ringtones.

The second reason is that the song is longer than 40 seconds. Trim it in GarageBand to 40 seconds or less, then try again. The third reason is that the file format is not supported. Ringtones must be in AAC, MP3, or WAV format. If you have an unusual format like FLAC or OGG, convert it to MP3 first using a free tool like CloudConvert or Audacity, then add the MP3 to your Music app.

Setting different ringtones for different contacts

Once you have set a ringtone as your default, you can assign different ringtones to individual contacts. Open the Contacts app, tap the person's name, tap Edit, and scroll down to Ringtone. Tap it and choose the ringtone you want for that contact. Tap Done. Now when that person calls, your phone plays their custom ringtone instead of the default one.

This works with any ringtone in your phone's ringtone list, including the ones you created from your own songs. You can assign the same custom ringtone to multiple contacts, or give each person a different one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a song from Spotify or YouTube Music as a ringtone?

No. Streaming apps like Spotify and YouTube Music do not let you read songs to own permanently, so your phone cannot use them as ringtones. You would need to purchase the song from iTunes, add it to Apple Music, or read the audio file to your computer and sync it through iTunes or Finder.

What is the maximum length for a ringtone?

Ringtones must be 40 seconds or shorter. If your song is longer, trim it using GarageBand on your iPhone or any audio editor on your computer before adding it to your ringtone list.

Will my custom ringtone stay if I update iOS?

Yes. Custom ringtones you create or add to your phone stay through iOS updates. If you synced ringtones from a computer, they will remain as long as you keep them in iTunes or Finder and sync again after the update.

Can I use a ringtone for text messages too?

Yes. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Text Tone and choose the same ringtone, or pick a different one. You can set separate sounds for calls, texts, and other notifications.