Your Internet Guide to Free Ringtones

There are a variety of ways to download ringtones for your cellular phone, and some of them are free. Of those that are free, many offer a wide variety of fabulous choices. Before you begin any download of ringtones, there are a few things you need to know in advance.

Cellular Phone Brand and Model
Not all cell phones are alike, and each brand comes with its own quirks when it comes to downloading ringtones. Knowing your cellular phone brand and model will make finding ringtones as well as downloading them a much simpler process. The easiest way to determine your cellular phone model is to turn it off, and remove the cover over the battery. The model number of your phone will be listed there.

Type of Ringtone
Not all ringtones are compatible with all cellular phones. There are three types of ringtones: Monophonic, Polyphonic, and True Tone. True tone is also known as music ringtones, voice tones, and real tones.

Monophonic ringtones were the first type available and are compatible with most phones. These are simple tones, using one note at a time. Polyphonic tones can utilize several notes at a time, which can produce a more melodic sound. True Tones are the most complex of the bunch, primarily comprised of actual mp3 or other music files with voice and musical notes.

Want to know which type of ringtone is compatible with your phone? This quick and easy guide explains exactly how to find out.

Download Methods
The ringtone market is ever-increasing and mobile phone carriers make money from selling ringtones. Carriers are not the only companies offering ringtones, and some of the competitors are offering them for free. Due to this, some carriers have blocked the ability of users to download free ringtones to their phones. There are, however, ways around blocked downloading.

There are still multiple ways to download ringtones, but not all are compatible with every cellular phone. This comprehensive set of instructions will take you each step of the way in downloading ringtones to your cellular phone.

If you want to input a ringtone into your ringtone composer, this step-by-step guide can get you successfully through the process with most phones. It should be noted that not all phones have a ringtone composer.

Websites Offering Completely Free Ringtone Downloads
Many websites advertise free ringtones only to have some catch listed in the fine print of the offer which makes the ringtone not really free after all. The following are websites with no catch, no fine print, and no charge for free ringtone downloads.

It is important to remember that if you use the internet on your phone to download your free ringtones, there may be a charge from your carrier for accessing the web on your phone.

Your Guide to Cell Phones/Pagers
This section of About.com offers a large list of completely free ringtone downloads by carrier and ringtone type. This particular category of the website also offers many other informative articles and helpful links to additional cellular phone information.

Download Free Ringtones
Offering a short list of websites offering free ringtones, this article includes among the list, a link to a UK ringtone download site.

Free Ringtones
This site offers free ringtones, in spite of being charged for the licensing required to offer the ringtones. They do ask for users of the site to voluntarily click on advertiser links to help keep the site free for usage, but it is not a requirement.

Send Ringtones to Your Phone
Continually updated, this site offers a listing of links to free downloadable ringtones; as well as a converter, a player, and a downloader program to make the process easy for you to use with most phones.

Several Formats Available
WAV, Midi, and MP3 ringtones are offered for free at this website which is updated on a regular basis. Many phones are compatible with at least one of these formats.

One Hundred Percent Free
With a large selection of ringtone downloads, as well as links to other free download sites, this website offers a wide variety of options for most cellular phone users.

No Subscription or Charge
Another website which offers completely free ringtone downloads after a free sign-up. This service also offers free themes and mp3videos for cell phones.

Free Gallery of Ringtones
From the public gallery of this website you can download many unique ringtones. You are required to set up a free account with Zedge, but your information is not shared.

Create Your Own Ringtones
Want your own unique ringtone? Create your own ringtone or download already made ringtones for free. The only requirement is that you set up a free profile with phonezoo. Their fine print states that they will not share your information.