Did you know you can make your own ringtones in GarageBand for use with your iPhone or iPad? Whether you are a long-time composer in GarageBand, or just getting your feet wet with the world of song creation, users are able to take their work and turn it into a ringtone for their iPhone.
There’s a lot of different uses one can get out of creating their own ringtones. Perhaps there’s a song in GarageBand you have created that you are particularly proud of. That, or maybe you want to create custom ringtones dependent on who calls you. You can create stunning orchestral sweeps whenever you receive a call from a loved one, or you can create something full of doom and gloom for whenever someone annoying reaches out. The possibilities are endless, and I’m going to show you how to complete this process.
Following these steps, users will be able to make their own ringtones for their iPhone using GarageBand.
Why GarageBand Rocks for Making an iPhone Ringtone
When it comes to GarageBand, there’s a near limitless well of creativity that awaits users. A rather powerful Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), GarageBand allows users to create their own songs and tracks without the need of taking a single music lesson. Featuring a seemingly infinite array of loops, instruments and settings, there’s enough content in GarageBand for users to create the music of their dreams.
Additionally, sharing your creation is also easier than ever, as is the ability to make your creation a custom ringtone for your iPhone or iPad. Using this guide, I’ll show you how to create your own ringtone, while also providing different options for setting this custom song as a ringtone.
Users that create songs in GarageBand or Logic Pro are then able to make ringtones from their creations, which they can then use on their iPhone or iPad. This can be a great way to either promote your own music, or simply create a unique ringtone that you are truly able to call your own. Be sure to follow along to make a ringtone for your iPhone using GarageBand.
What You Should Know Before Beginning
While we won’t go into the songwriting process itself for GarageBand or Logic Pro, concerning GarageBand, there are a number of different ways to get started creating your own music. However, this guide is going to be geared toward those that have already created their own tracks, and are simply looking for a means to make it a ringtone for their device.
Before starting, the first thing a user will need to do is ensure that both their Mac and iPhone or iPad have access to their iCloud Drive. From your iPad or your iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud to ensure that you are connected to your Drive (ensure that iCloud Drive is set to “On”). On your Mac, you can go to Apple > System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud to ensure that your iCloud Drive is set to on.
How to Share Your Project to GarageBand for iOS
From here, you are then able to share your project. This will ensure that you are able to set your project as a ringtone in the following steps.
- On your Mac, open either Logic Pro or GarageBand and find your project.
- Share it to the iOS version of GarageBand
- Within GarageBand go to Share > Project to GarageBand for iOS.
- In Logic Pro, select File > Share > Project to GarageBand for iOS.
- Choose the “GarageBand for iOS” folder in your iCloud Drive and select Save.
How to Use an Existing Song in GarageBand
There are ways to use an existing song as a ringtone in GarageBand. However, pay close attention to DRM. You will only be able to use songs that you have either purchased through iTunes, or ripped from another audio source by you. Streaming music will not work. You should also make sure the song is in your iCloud Drive.
To turn an existing song into a ringtone, follow these steps.
- Open GarageBand.
- Select any instrument.
- Open the instrument in Multitrack view by selecting the icon that looks like a stack of bricks.
It will be in the top-left corner. - From the right side of the toolbar, select the Loop icon.
It is nestled between Setting and Undo. - You can then select a song from either your Files or from the iCloud Drive.
You can also use Apple Music. - Hold down the click button on the file and drag it to the multitrack window.
You can then edit the track should you need to. Remember that a ringtone needs to be between 30 and 40 seconds long. Save it to your songs by tapping the arrow in the top left corner and selecting My Songs. You can then export it as a ringtone.
How to Export Your Song as a Ringtone for GarageBand
You will then need to export the project as ringtone directly from the iOS or iPadOS versions of GarageBand. To do this, follow these steps.
Time needed: 2 minutes
How to export your GarageBand project as a ringtone.
- Open GarageBand from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Go to My Songs.
- Within the My Songs browser, tap Browse (folder icon), choose select and then tap the project shared from your Mac.
- Long press to find Share and then select Ringtone.
- Choose a name for your ringtone and then select Export.
If your project is longer than 30 seconds, you can select Continue, and GarageBand will shorten the length of the song for you automatically. Hitting cancel will allow you to shorten the song yourself.
- Select Export.
From here, you are then able to assign the project as a ringtone. Whenever you receive a phone call, it will be your project that plays every single time. Additionally, there’s a few different options users will have when it comes to setting their custom ringtone.
Immediately after you export it, you will see an option to “Use sound as”. Selecting this will allow you to make your project a ringtone. You will have several options after selecting this.
- Standard Ringtone: This option will replace your existing ringtone with your new song.
- Standard Text Tone: Selecting this will replace your text tone with your song or project.
- Assign to contact: This will take your song or project and make it a ringtone for a specific individual.
Conclusion: Make a Ringtone for Your iPhone in GarageBand
When it is all said and done, creating your own ringtone can be something truly splendid. If you are proud of the work you have done on a particular song in GarageBand or Logic Pro, you can set it as a ringtone to let the world know you’re an artist. Additionally, you can also create custom ringtones for all of your friends and family. Whatever you want to do, GarageBand has you covered.
While writing music can often be a difficult process, there are ways to show off your work once you have completed a song or a project. With GarageBand having so many options for musicians, those who have been songwriting forever, or even those that are just beginning will have no problems creating a song from scratch in GarageBand. Using this tip, try and create your own song in GarageBand to use as a ringtone on your Apple device.