Ranking updated
Apps to cut music and audio on your phone
To cut a song or make a ringtone you need a simple audio editor. On iPhone, GarageBand from Apple is free and can save a ringtone straight to the phone. WavePad and Lexis Audio Editor work on both iOS and Android, and Hokusai suits multi-track edits on iPhone and iPad.
How we chose: apps that cut and trim audio on the phone, sold by their own developer or by a seller listed as a trader on the App Store, with features taken from each app’s store description. No prices, download counts or ratings.
GarageBand: a ringtone on iPhone
GarageBand by Apple is a full music studio, and it also trims musical regions exactly where you want them and creates custom ringtones and alerts for iPhone and iPad. It has a Ukrainian interface and works only on Apple devices.
WavePad and Lexis: cut audio on iOS and Android
WavePad by NCH Software cuts, copies, pastes, inserts and trims audio, has auto-trim and voice activated recording, and adds echo, amplify and noise reduction. Its own description names ringtones and trimming sound bits among typical uses. Lexis Audio Editor trims, fades in and out, inserts silence, changes tempo, speed and pitch and works with mp3, wav, flac, m4a, aac and wma, and it can import the sound from mp4 video.
Hokusai: several tracks side by side
Hokusai Audio Editor by Wooji Juice does full cut, copy, paste and delete, not only trimming the ends, and mixes many tracks side by side. Fade in and out, normalising and reversing are free, and Hokusai 3 Pro adds noise reduction, time stretching, pitch bending and more effects.
Tips for a clean cut
Cut on a quiet moment and add a short fade in and fade out so the clip does not click. Keep a ringtone short. To change a voice in a recording, see voice changer apps, and to edit a clip with picture, video editing apps.
| App | Best for | Highlights | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| GarageBandApp Store | ringtones on iPhone | trim regions, custom ringtones and alerts, effects, Ukrainian interface | iPhone, iPad |
| WavePadApp StoreGoogle Play | a full audio editor | cut, copy, paste, trim, auto-trim, noise reduction, echo | iOS, Android |
| Lexis Audio EditorApp StoreGoogle Play | quick cuts in many formats | trim, fade in and out, tempo and pitch, mp3, wav, flac, m4a | iOS, Android |
| Hokusai Audio EditorApp Store | several tracks at once | cut, copy, paste, fade, normalise, multi-track mix | iPhone, iPad |
Frequently asked questions
Which app cuts music on the phone?
WavePad and Lexis Audio Editor cut and trim audio on iOS and Android, GarageBand trims regions on iPhone and iPad, and Hokusai does full cut, copy and paste on iPhone and iPad.
How do I make a ringtone on iPhone?
GarageBand by Apple creates custom ringtones and alerts for iPhone and iPad.
Is there one in Ukrainian?
GarageBand has a Ukrainian interface. WavePad, Lexis and Hokusai are in English.