How to Create Your Own MP3 Ringtones for Free

Instead of constantly buying ringtones of your ever-changing favorite song, learn how to create your own ringtone in minutes. In order to do this, all you need is the program linked in this page and an .mp3 or .wav music file.

1. Downloading the software to create your ringtone - The program you will be using to create your ringtone is a freeware program called Audacity, which you can download here : http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/windows (Windows) or http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/mac (Mac). You will also need the LAME MP3 encoder: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&item=lame-mp3 . After downloading, install the program and unpack the encoder your desktop or a folder you can remember.

2. Editing your MP3 in Audacity - Open Audacity, go to File>Open, and select your music file. After doing so, you will see music waves, you can highlight and delete or keep parts of the song you want by highlighting it with your mouse and pressing Delete on your keyboard. Next, go to Edit>Preferences>File Formats then click the 'Find Library' button, select Yes on the pop-up box and open the LAME MP3 encoder from where you saved it. In order to decrease the size of the mp3 file, you will also have to decrease the bit rate of your song, I personally select 80 as I cannot hear a difference on my phone speaker otherwise. You can now save your mp3 file by going to File>Export As MP3.

3. Importing the ringtone to your phone - There are a few ways to put the ringtone you've created into your phone, such as USB, e-mail, and Bluetooth. If you use a USB cable or Bluetooth, install the software included with your phone and copy the file to your phone. Depending on your phone, you will find your newly created MP3 ringtone from your Ringtones or Music folder.

Congratulations, you've successfully created your own ringtone!