It’s highly likely that you’ve changed your phone’s ringtone at some point. It’s particularly easy on Android devices – just head to Settings – Sound and you’ll find the option (where this is may very depending on manufacturer). There might be 15 or more different generic tones to choose from, but what if you want to customise your own?
Android has added the option the option to add another sound to your library, but it will simply begin playing from the start of the song when you receive a call. Imagine choosing Hotel California by Eagles and only getting the guitar backing from the first minute!
That’s where a free app like Ringtone Maker comes in. Once you grant access to your files, this also allows you to trim the mp3 clip down to the specific section of song you’d like to play when you receive a call. Here’s how it’s done.
How to set a custom ringtone on Android
Once you’ve downloaded Ringtone Maker and opened it, you’ll be presented with a rather dated looking interface.
However, more importantly you should see a list of all the mp3 files you currently have downloaded to your device. Adding a song to that list is relatively easy, as sites like Clip Converter can take the audio from any YouTube video and download it for you.
Tapping on each will play them, so you’ll want to hit the three dots next to your chosen file – we’re using a royalty free track from bensound.com as an example. Various options will appear, but the one you’ll want is Edit.
You’ll then see a waveform timeline of the audio, which will be familiar if you’ve used audio editing software before. Under the options of Trim, Remove middle and Paste you can select the portion of audio you want to use.
If you find your finger isn’t accurate enough, you can also adjust by millisecond increments. Once you are happy with your selection tap the Save icon. You can choose to save the clipped audio as a ringtone, alarm, notification or music.
Hit Ringtone, give it a name, then press Save. Ringtone Maker will offer to make it your default ringtone, or go to Settings then Sound and select it from there.
Not using an Android phone? Here’s how to set a custom ringtone on iPhone.
Author: Marie Black, Editorial Director, International, Foundry
Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she's worked in tech media for almost 20 years, covering all types of consumer tech from smartphones and their accessories to smart home gear. These days she manages our international editorial teams and leads on content strategy, having witnessed first-hand Foundry's transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.