How to Make Ringtones

Have you ever felt frustrated that the song you wanted was not available to add to your phone as a ringtone? Or maybe you're just tired of paying three to four times what it would cost to buy the full song on the iTunes Store. By following the steps in this article you will learn how to make ringtones from any MP3 in your library!

Using custom ringtones has become a popular way to personalize your cell phone. Most people buy their ringtones directly from their cell phone providers or from third party companies. But wouldn't it be nice if you could create your own ringtones free of charge?Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones (February 6, 2006) Thankfully, you can! All you have to do is follow these simple steps and you will be creating your own custom ringtones in no time!

• Before getting started, make sure you have:

1. A cell phone that supports MP3 ringtones.Dyers.org: How to Make a Ringtone from Your Favorite Song (August 30, 2007) If you are unsure if your phone supports MP3 ringtones, check your phone's documentation and user's manual.
2. An MP3 from your personal music library that you legally own (other audio formats may also work, but this article will assume that you are using the common MP3 file format).SimpleHelp.net: How to Make Your Own Ringtones from MP3s with Audacity (October 29, 2008) Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones, p. 2 (February 6, 2006)
3. A way to transfer an MP3 to your phone.Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones (February 6, 2006) Many phones have the ability to receive data via USB cable, Bluetooth, or Email.Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones (February 6, 2006) Email Text Messages: Email to SMS Address List

There are two ways create a ringtone. The first is to use a web application that does the work for you.Mashable: Make Your Own Ringtones Guide (March 13, 2008) The second is to do the work yourself using free desktop software.SimpleHelp.net: How to Make Your Own Ringtones from MP3s with Audacity (October 29, 2008) The method you choose depends on your personal preferences and needs.

Using Web Applications

There are several web sites that allow users to use a web application to create ringtones free of charge.Mashable: Make Your Own Ringtones Guide (March 13, 2008) These web applications usually consist of three simple steps.tonebee: tonebee

1. Upload an MP3. Some support other audio formats as well.Make Own Ringtone: Make Own Ringtone
2. Select a section of the MP3 to be used as your ringtone.Audiko: Audiko
3. Send it to your phone.
   • - Some web applications will send a ringtone directly to your phone while others require you to download it and transfer it yourself.Make Own Ringtone: Make Own Ringtone

Web Applications for Creating Ringtones

Here is a list of free web applications that you can use to create your own ringtones.

1. Audiko. Audiko allows you to upload the song of your choice or enter the URL of a song and Audiko will download it for you and prepare it for editing.Audiko: Audiko
2. Make Own Ringtone. Makeownringtone supports MP3, WMA, OGG and other audio formats.Make Own Ringtone: Make Own Ringtone
3. MobiciousMobicious: Mobicious
4. Mobile17Mobil17: Mobile17
5. MyxerTones.Myxer: Myxer
6. Tonebee.tonebee: tonebee

If you opt to use one of these web applications, just follow the instructions on the site.Mashable: Make Your Own Ringtones Guide (March 13, 2008) If you decide you would rather create your ringtone manually, continue reading.Dyers.org: How to Make a Ringtone from Your Favorite Song (August 30, 2007)

• To create a ringtone manually you will need to download some software.

• Audacity is a cross-platform, open source application that will meet most of your audio editing needs.Audacity: Audacity

1. Audacity can be downloaded free of charge. Visit Audacity's download page and download the version for your operating system.Audacity: Download
2. When the downloaded is finished, install Audacity.

• Audacity cannot edit MP3s by itself. It needs the LAME MP3 Encoder.Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones (February 6, 2006) Lame: Lame To get Audacity up and running with LAME, follow these steps:

1. Download LAME from its SourceForge Download Page.SourceForge: Lame Download When you download LAME it will be in tar.gz format.
   1. The tar.gz file format is a type of archive similar to the more familiar .zip file format.
   2. GZip is a cross-platform application that can be used to extract files from a tar.gz archive.GZip: GZip
   3. Visit the GZip download page, download the appropriate version for your operating system and install it.GZip: Executables
   4. Use GZip to unpack the files you need to use the LAME MP3 Encoder.
2. Once you have downloaded and extracted LAME, move the file to a permanent location on your computer.SimpleHelp.net: How to Make Your Own Ringtones from MP3s with Audacity (October 29, 2008)
3. Open Audacity. Click on Audacity's "Edit" menu then select "Preferences."Lifehacker: Make a Ringtone from Any MP3 (November 3, 2006)
4. Click on the "File Formats" tab and locate the section called "MP3 Export Setup."Lifehacker: Make a Ringtone from Any MP3 (November 3, 2006)
5. In the "MP3 Export Setup" section click on the "Find Library" button and browse to the the LAME file.Lifehacker: Make a Ringtone from Any MP3

Now you are ready to create your ringtone.

• Now that you have all the necessary software installed, it is time to start working with an MP3 to create a ringtone.

1. Choose an MP3 from your personal library and make a copy of it to work with.Lifehacker: Make a Ringtone from Any MP3 (November 3, 2006) This way, if something were to go wrong the original file would not be damaged.
2. Open the copy of your MP3 in Audacity.Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones, p. 2 (February 6, 2006) Audacity: Audacity In Audacity's file menu, click "Open" and browse to the copy you made of your MP3.
3. When the MP3 is loaded, locate a twenty second segment that you want to use as your ringtone and export it.SimpleHelp.net: How to Make Your Own Ringtones from MP3s with Audacity (October 29, 2008) Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones, p. 2 (February 6, 2006)
   1. Use the playback controls in Audacity's tool bar to play the MP3.Dyers.org: How to Make a Ringtone from Your Favorite Song (August 30, 2007)
   2. When you find the section you want to use, use the "Zoom" button (the button with the image of a magnifying glass) to make Audacity display the MP3 in five second increments.Dyers.org: How to Make a Ringtone from Your Favorite Song (August 30, 2007)
   3. Highlight the 20 second segment you want to use by using the "Select" tool on Audacity's tool bar.Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones, p. 2 (February 6, 2006) SimpleHelp.net: How to Make Your Own Ringtones from MP3s with Audacity (October 29, 2008) Once it is highlighted, you can preview it by hitting the space bar.Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones, p. 2 (February 6, 2006)
   4. Export your highlighted section by clicking on the "Edit" menu and selecting "Trim."Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones, p. 2 (February 6, 2006) Lifehacker: Make a Ringtone from Any MP3 (November 3, 2006) Your twenty second segment has now been separated from the original MP3.
4. Audacity comes with several audio effects that you can add to your ringtone. You can find them by "Edit" clicking on the "Effects" menu.Lifehacker: Make a Ringtone from Any MP3 (November 3, 2006)
5. When you are done adding effects, click on the "File" menu and select "Export as MP3".Dyers.org: How to Make a Ringtone from Your Favorite Song (August 30, 2007)

• Congratulations! You have just created a ringtone. Now it is time to transfer it to your phone.

• There are three ways to transfer your ringtone to your phone: USB, BlueTooth, and Email.

• If your cell phone has USB or BlueTooth capability, transfering your ringtone to your phone is simple.Wired: Stop Paying for Ring Tones, p. 2 (February 6, 2006) Just follow these steps:

1. Connect your phone to your computer via a USB cable or BlueTooth.
2. Follow the steps indicated in your phone's user's manual.
3. Once you have transfered the file, locate it on your phone and set it as your ringtone.

• If your phone does not have USB or BlueTooth capability, you can try Emailing your phone and sending your ringtone along as an attachment. Most cell phone carriers give each phone its own unique Email address.Email Text Messages: Email to SMS Address List

• When you know your phone's email address, follow these steps:

1. Email your phone and attach your ringtone to the Email.Lifehacker: Make a Ringtone from Any MP3 (November 3, 2006)
2. When your phone notifies you that it has received the message, locate the ringtone in your phone.
   • - Different phones handle incoming messages and attachments differently, so be sure to consult your user's manual if you cannot find it.
3. Once you find the MP3 on your phone, set it as your ringtone.

• The next time you hear a song or sound byte and think to yourself, "That would make a great ringtone!," just remember, you can do it yourself, free of charge! By following the steps above, you will be well on your way to building your own ringtone library! Have fun!

The content on this page is assumes that you are the legal owner of any media files that you use. This page in no way condones the use of pirated material.