Make Your Favorite Apple Music Songs into iPhone Ringtones

Method 1: Buy Standard Apple Music Ringtones for iPhone

You can buy apps, music, and movies from the iTunes Store, and it also sells ringtones. You can access ringtones you already purchased or browse new ones to buy. Many ringtones are songs, and you can explore them by tapping the Genres button or using the Search bar to find a specific song or artist.

Ringtones usually cost 99 cents or $1.29, and you can tap any thumbnail to hear a sample before buying. After purchase, you can set it as your default ringtone, use it as a text tone, or assign it to a contact. You can change these settings later. This method is simple, convenient, and guaranteed to work on your iPhone.

Step 1 Open the iTunes Store app on your iPhone. Scroll to the bottom and tap Ringtones, or use the Search bar to find a specific tone.

Step 2 Tap a ringtone to preview it. When you find one you like, tap the price button and authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or Apple ID password.

Step 3 After purchase, choose Use Sound As Standard Ringtone, or skip this step to set it later.

Step 4 Open Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone. Your purchased ringtone appears at the top of the list. Tap it to apply.

Step 5 To assign a ringtone to a specific contact, open the Contacts app, select the contact, tap Edit → Ringtone, choose your purchased tone, and tap Done.

Method 2: Make Custom Apple Music Ringtones for iPhone

As an Apple Music subscriber, you have access to a huge library of songs, but most come from the streaming catalog rather than iTunes purchases or personal uploads. These songs are protected by DRM, which means they cannot be set as iPhone ringtones directly.

To check a song, open iTunes or the Music app, find the track, right-click it, and select Get Info or Song Info. Under the File tab, look at the Kind field. If it says Protected AAC audio file, it cannot be used as a ringtone. If it says MPEG audio file, it can be used.

Instead of purchasing the song again, you can convert it using ViWizard Apple Music Converter. It converts Apple Music tracks into standard audio files that work smoothly with ringtone tools like iTunes, GarageBand, or Finder, making it easy to turn them into .m4r files. All track details are kept after conversion.

Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter

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• Convert Apple Music songs, albums, playlists, and artists into MP3 for easy access
• Preserve lossless audio, high-resolution lossless, and Dolby Atmos quality
• Strip DRM from Apple Music for unrestricted offline listening
• Save converted audio files while retaining full ID3 tag details

Getting started is easy. Download and install ViWizard on your computer, then select the songs you want to convert from your Apple Music library. Choose an output format that fits your needs. If you plan to make ringtones, MP3 is a good starting point for making ringtones, and all track details are kept after conversion.

Step 1Install ViWizard Apple Music Converter on Your Computer

Download and install ViWizard Apple Music Converter on your Windows PC or Mac. Open the program and sign in with the Apple ID you use for Apple Music. This gives the software access to your full library, including songs, albums, and playlists, so you can prepare any track for alarms or ringtones.

Step 2Choose MP3 as the Output Format

In the Preferences settings, select MP3 as the output format. MP3 works with most phones and alarm makers. You can also adjust the bit rate. Higher bitrates give better sound but take more space, while lower bitrates save storage if you want multiple alarms or ringtones.

Step 3Pick the Songs You Want to Convert

Browse your Apple Music library in ViWizard Apple Music Converter and select the songs, albums, or playlists you want. Add them to the conversion queue. The software will make DRM-free MP3 copies, which can be used as alarms or ringtones on any device without needing streaming. After conversion, open the output folder to find your new MP3 files.

Option 1: Create Custom Ringtones Using iTunes or Finder

If you prefer using a computer, iTunes or Finder provides a reliable way to create custom ringtones from purchased or converted songs. You can trim the track to under 30 seconds, which is often automatically shortened to 29 seconds after conversion, convert it to the correct format, and sync it to your iPhone. After syncing, a Ringtones entry appears in the Library pane, showing all the tones you created or added. From there, setting the ringtone on your iPhone is easy.

For Windows Users (Using iTunes)

Windows users work through iTunes, and the steps are familiar even for users on macOS Mojave or earlier.

Step 1 Open iTunes and add your converted Apple Music file to the library if it is not already there.

Step 2 Right-click the track, select Song Info, then open the Options tab. Set start and stop times to under 30 seconds and click OK.

Step 3 Go to File → Convert → Create AAC Version. A shortened copy will appear in your library.

Step 4 Right-click the new AAC file, choose Show in Windows Explorer, and rename the file extension from .m4a to .m4r. Remove the original from iTunes if it already exists.

Step 5 Double-click the .m4r file to add it to iTunes automatically (or drag it in if needed).

Step 6 Connect your iPhone, click the iPhone icon in iTunes, and open the Tones section. The new ringtone appears.

Step 7 Sync your iPhone in iTunes.

Step 8 On your iPhone, go to Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone and select your new tone.

For Mac Users (Using Finder on macOS Catalina and later)

For Mac users who use the Music app, the process is handled through Finder.

Step 1 Open the Music app and add your converted audio file to the library.

Step 2 Select the track, choose Get Info, and open the Options tab. Set start and stop times to under 30 seconds and click OK.

Step 3 From the menu bar, choose File → Convert → Create AAC Version. A shortened copy will appear.

Step 4 Right-click the AAC file, select Show in Finder, and rename the extension from .m4a to .m4r. Remove the original from the library if needed.

Step 5 Double-click the .m4r file to add it automatically to the Music library (or drag it in if necessary).

Step 6 Connect your iPhone to the Mac and open Finder. Select your iPhone from the sidebar.

Step 7 Drag the .m4r file directly onto the iPhone window. The ringtone will sync automatically.

Step 8 On your iPhone, open Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone and select your custom tone.

Option 2: Create Custom Ringtones with the "Use as Ringtone" Shortcut

If you want to work directly on your iPhone, the "Use as Ringtone" shortcut offers a faster approach. It lets you turn compatible audio files, such as MP3 files under 30 seconds, into custom ringtones from the Files app, Voice Memos, or some media players. You select the file and choose "Use as Ringtone" from the Share Sheet. Many of the usual steps are removed, but the ringtone format still matters. In some cases, converting Apple Music songs to MP3 is unavoidable.

Step 1 Open the Shortcuts app and install a ringtone shortcut that includes audio trimming and export actions.

Step 2 Run the shortcut, select the audio file, and follow prompts to trim it to 30 seconds or less.

Step 3 Once complete, the ringtone is automatically added to Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone.

Option 3: Create Custom Ringtones Using GarageBand

GarageBand is ideal if you want more control over how your ringtone sounds. The interface may take some time to learn, but GarageBand gives you the flexibility to create clean and polished ringtones that feel more personal. You can import songs, trim them precisely, and adjust how the ringtone starts or ends. Once finished, you can export it and set it directly on your iPhone.

For Mac Users

Step 1 Open System Settings → Apple ID → iCloud and ensure iCloud Drive is enabled.

Step 2 Open GarageBand and create a new Audio Recorder project.

Step 3 Import or record the audio you want. Trim it to 30 seconds or less and adjust volume or effects if needed.

Step 4 Choose Share → Project to GarageBand for iOS and save it to the GarageBand iCloud folder.

For iPhone Users

Step 1 Go to Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud and turn on iCloud Drive.

Step 2 Open GarageBand → My Songs → Browse, select the transferred project, and tap Share.

Step 3 Choose Ringtone, name the file, and tap Export.

Step 4 When prompted, select Use Sound As Standard Ringtone. GarageBand automatically shortens any audio over 30 seconds.

Pro Tip: Set and Change Your iPhone Ringtone for Apple Music Tracks

This is also where you go to manage your ringtones, whether you want to rename them or update them later. You may not need this right now, since GarageBand lets you assign a ringtone directly during export, but it is still useful to know where to find these settings when you need them.

Step 1 On your iPhone, open Settings → Sounds & Haptics.

Step 2 Tap Ringtone under Sounds and Vibration Patterns.

Step 3 Scroll through the list of available ringtones. Custom tones usually appear at the top and are about 29 seconds long.

Step 4 Tap the ringtone you want to use. A checkmark will appear, indicating it is selected.

Step 5 Exit Settings. Your custom ringtone is now ready to use.

Conclusion:

Creating iPhone ringtones from Apple Music is easier than you think. Whether you buy a tone from the iTunes Store or make a custom one using iTunes, Finder, GarageBand, or the "Use as Ringtone" shortcut, you can personalize your phone's sound in just a few steps. DRM-protected Apple Music tracks need to be converted before they can be used as ringtones, but tools like ViWizard Apple Music Converter make this process simple.

We'd love to hear from you! Share in the comments which method you tried, how it worked for you, or any tips you discovered along the way.