The Good
- Easy to use
- Nice interface
- Email integration
The Bad
- Overpriced
Apps like RingTunes (US$4.99) are one solution for creating iPhone ringtones from your existing music library. RingTunes gets the job done with minimal hassle, but it is overpriced compared to other ringtone apps.
Read more about our top picks in our list of the best ringtone apps for the iPhone.
Standard Creation Tools
RingTunes works much like other iPhone ringtone apps -- you select a song from your music library, edit a 40-second selection, sync with iTunes, and then upload the ringtone to your iPhone. This is how the process works in a nutshell, but let’s dig into the details to see how RingTunes stacks up against our other favorite ringtone apps.
Once you select a song from the iTunes music library on your iPhone, the app brings up an editing screen so you can create a 40-second clip. You can adjust the starting time and length via two sliders, and the ringtone plays automatically so you can hear your progress. The sliders are easy to adjust, but I haven’t found a ringtone app yet that can match the editing simplicity of Ringtone Designer Pro. The sliders on Ringtone Designer Pro are very easy to adjust, and I found it very easy to select the right parts of the song. RingTunes is pretty easy to use, but it requires a lot more trial and error, an issue I also ran into with Ringtone Wizard Pro.
After your clip is edited, tap the "save" icon. One nice thing about RingTunes is that you can email your ringtones. I also like the file manager, which includes access to all your saved ringtones -- a feature I haven’t seen in other ringtone apps.
Syncing with iTunes
Now you’ll need to sync your iPhone with iTunes in order to transfer the song. It is kind of pain that you can’t create your ringtone entirely within the app, but that is a limitation I have encountered with every other ringtone app I’ve tested. And once you get the hang of it, the process only takes a few seconds. RingTunes has a brief guide that explains the process if you run into trouble.
All of my ringtones were saved correctly and transferred just fine to my iPhone. I haven’t noticed any difference in sound quality between the ringtone apps I’ve tested; they all sound pretty good. Well, as good as music can sound when it is coming from the iPhone’s small speakers.
The Bottom Line
RingTunes has a sleek interface and is an easy way to create ringtones for your iPhone. Features like email integration and the file manager are nice to have, but they don’t justify the price premium over other ringtone apps. Ringtone Designer Pro, in particular, works just as well and it only costs $US0.99. Overall rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.
What You’ll Need
RingTunes is compatible with iPhones running iOS 4.0 or later.