Filed under: iTunes, Software Update
iTunes 7.4 obsolete after 48 hours; 7.4.1 breaks homebrew ringtones
There are apps that age gracefully, staying functional and relevant for months or years with no changes at all (I'm looking at you, TNEF's Enough -- 2005 in the house!)... and then there's iTunes. We had only hours to get used to a new version with support for all the iPods coming down the pike, and then in don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it fashion, 7.4 was gone and 7.4.1 was here. Wheel in the sky, keep on turning.
Apple hasn't listed specific changes between 7.4 and 7.4.1, but initial reports say that the technique for creating your own ringtones simply by changing file extensions, which MacRumors announced earlier today, is now blocked (anyone surprised? Didn't think so). Despite the patches, we're told that iToner 1.0.1, just revised to work with 7.4, continues to work as advertised with 7.4.1. Reader Joe Maller suggests that if you change the extension of your ringtone files BACK to '.m4a' from '.m4r' they will sync again and still show up as ringtones, so you might try that.
You can download the new iTunes for Mac and Windows directly, or hit Software Update for the refresh.
Thanks Mike B. and St3phen
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
pinsleric said 12:23AM on 9-08-2007
wow, this happened really fast...
too fast I say! screwing the early adopters of 7.4 only to make people want 7.4.1!!!!!! blasphemy!
(JK!!!) lol
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artifex said 12:39AM on 9-08-2007
I'm not sure why I downloaded any of the 7s, actually. I don't have an iPhone.
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Hideo said 12:41AM on 9-08-2007
How do i delete them from itunes even though they are not in my itunes
HELP!
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Thayne Miller said 12:53AM on 9-08-2007
@3: To remove ringtones from the ringtones tab in iTunes, first delete the ringtones from the "ringtones" folder in the finder, then rebuild your iTunes database according to http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93313
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Motoko said 1:00AM on 9-08-2007
Restore the phone and delete them from your iTunes Music folder I bet
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Dipdudu said 1:04AM on 9-08-2007
Homemade ringtones still work. Just have to change the file extension back to .m4a after importing the ringtone into iTunes.
More details here:
http://joemaller.com/2007/09/08/make-custom-iphone-ringtones-work-with-itunes-741/
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Abscissa said 1:24AM on 9-08-2007
This sort of thing is exactly why I've been weening myself off of iTunes.
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Andrew Dixon said 1:25AM on 9-08-2007
I cant even figure out how to get the darn ringtones on my itunes list. I dont have a ringtone section on the left under library or anything. ANyone know why?
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Danny said 1:31AM on 9-08-2007
@ #6, It works! Don't delete those Ringtone files yet! Just change the extension back to .m4a and you're good to go. Credit to the link above, and to the guy who found that link...
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Cycomachead said 1:33AM on 9-08-2007
Wow. Why did Apple add a .m4r format??? .m4a, m4p, m4b, ipg, m4r - it's getting to hard to manually do things with purchased items in the finder!
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Unixed said 1:43AM on 9-08-2007
To get new Ringtones, complete the same steps as you would for iTunes 7.4, they will then show under the Ringtone tab, then rename the extension back, and then sync. Works perfect. I have tried it many times just to make sure it is fully functional.
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Fuck Apple said 1:44AM on 9-08-2007
Anybody wanna recommend a good iTunes replacement?
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xanthue86 said 1:52AM on 9-08-2007
what i did was double click the ringtone which is lets say "song.m4r" so that it will be added to the ringtone folder and ringtone tab of the iPhone... then find that folder delete "song.m4r" and add it again to that folder by copying & pasting the original "song.m4r"... then it should sync fine now... im not sur it wil work for u but it does with me...
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fog city dave said 3:37AM on 9-08-2007
@ #12
God, I love these people who throw out these "fsck Apple" tantrums every time Apple does one little thing that they dislike... and of course they don't just dislike it, they actually take offense at it, as if Steve Jobs himself just took a giant sh*t on you. Forget all of the things that Apple does so brilliantly, time in and time out... one little thing that you don't like and you start dropping your little nuclear bombs and your childish ultimatums. Give me a break. I'm so sick of hearing people like our good commenter #12 here professing that this is the final straw, they're leave Apple.
You know what dude? Go ahead and leave, and don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. Enjoy your Dell POS3200 and your "good iTunes replacement"... whatever...
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Will said 4:01AM on 9-08-2007
I just downloaded 7.4.1 there is an ringtones tab on my iPhone but no other reference anywhere i can find. How do I make a ringtone?
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MacSlut said 4:54AM on 9-08-2007
Abscissa, that's one of the stupidest comments I've ever seen here. Either you have an iPhone and at worst have been mildly annoyed at having to change file extensions to use iTunes for free ringtones, or you don't have an iPhone and this wouldn't affect you at all.
If you do have an iPhone, and have your panties all bunched up over this...then good luck with weening yourself off of iTunes. Let us know how that goes.
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beans said 5:13AM on 9-08-2007
I hope this doesn't sound too stupid, but what is the best way to cut a song down to ringtone size?
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beans said 5:42AM on 9-08-2007
I'm stupid...garageband ftw
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Dave said 6:34AM on 9-08-2007
@4
Crap. Doing that reset my playcounts. I know that's lame to be complaining about. But I'm a stickler for nerdy info about my listening habits.
I didn't want to hack my phone because of something like this happening. I actually didn't even think this changing the extension thing was a hack.
Lesson learned.
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Lars said 6:37AM on 9-08-2007
I'm glad my Sony Ericsson just accepts mp3's as ringtones. I won't be getting an iPhone when it launches over here, since the continuous hack and counterhack might sound appealing to some, I don't like it.
Besides... pay for homebrew ring tones? O_o
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