# Getting a Song to a Phone as a Ringtone
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 10, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107 "2006-08-10T03:13:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/1 "2006-08-10T03:13:00Z")
So I’ve found a way to take my existing music and edit the MP3s into short 15 second snippets of sound for use as a ringtone. All legal under fair use as far as I know since I own the songs.
The catch I’ve found is how to get that track to my phone and saved as a ringtone. Any one have any experience doing this?
I’m using a LG VI125 for Sprint, which I’m sure is a factor.
So far I’ve attempted sending the file as an attachment to my phones email account and the message was received but it appeared that the attachment was inaccessible.
Little help from anyone who’s done this before.
For kicks, here’s the article that got me started: [http://www.wired.com/news/columns/0,70150-1.html?tw=wn\_story\_page\_next1](http://www.wired.com/news/columns/0,70150-1.html?tw=wn_story_page_next1)
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/2 "2006-08-10T06:11:02Z")
You can buy an overpriced cable to transfer it, this may not be ideal if you only want a few songs. I’m not too familiar with sprint, but it might want you to convert the file to a wav or midi first before you email it.
You might also not be using the right email, even if it gets to your phone okay. With Verizon, I sent a midi to (my phone number)@vzwpix.com or @vtext.com. Both got to my phone, but only one had a valid attachment. Possibly sprint has the same.
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### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/3 "2006-08-10T06:17:11Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> You can buy an overpriced cable to transfer it, this may not be ideal if you only want a few songs. I’m not too familiar with sprint, but it might want you to convert the file to a wav or midi first before you email it.
>
> You might also not be using the right email, even if it gets to your phone okay. With Verizon, I sent a midi to (my phone number)@vzwpix.com or @vtext.com. Both got to my phone, but only one had a valid attachment. Possibly sprint has the same.
You can convert MP3 to midi?
-FrL-
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/4 "2006-08-10T06:26:33Z")
I misspoke. Convert to wav OR send a midi instead. The cellphone may also accept mp3s, but only at a certain bitrate or frequency.
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### Author:  [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/5 "2006-08-10T17:23:15Z")
> [@Omniscient](#):
>
> So I’ve found a way to take my existing music and edit the MP3s into short 15 second snippets of sound for use as a ringtone. All legal under fair use as far as I know since I own the songs.
slight hijack…
Did you use a program to edit your songs? If so, what program? I’ve been looking for a good one and can’t seem to find one that’s decent, simple and quick.
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### Author:  [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/6 "2006-08-10T17:27:58Z")
I use Audacity to edit MP3s for use as phone ringtones, it is pretty straightforward to use. If your phone has bluetooth and you have a friend with a cable then you can get the songs indirectly. When I wanted some MP3s before I had a phone with a cable I got a friend to put the songs onto his phone (using the USB cable) and then had him send the songs to me via bluetooth.
It’s quite a round about way of doing it but it saves you from having to buy your own cable.
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### Author:  [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/7 "2006-08-10T17:59:06Z")
I bought a cheap cable for my old Motorola V300, it worked a few times, and then it didn’t work. What I did then was uploaded the mp3 to my webspace and used my phone’s web browser to browse to the file - it would automatically start downloading.
Now I have a bluetooth phone and it is a lot easier to transfer ringtones and pictures (my iMac has bluetooth - no cable needed).
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### Author:  [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/8 "2006-08-10T18:21:56Z")
> [@LunaV](#):
>
> slight hijack…
> Did you use a program to edit your songs? If so, what program? I’ve been looking for a good one and can’t seem to find one that’s decent, simple and quick.
Like **mittu** I’ve used Audacity. I’ve also used Goldwave, and while both work fine, I generally prefer Goldwave for user-friendliness.
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### Author:  [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/9 "2006-08-10T18:26:21Z")
Oh, and WRT the OP, it may not be…easy, or intuitive, or, out of the box, even possible to transfer MP3s to your phone. Verizon, for example, neuters the hell out of Motorola Phone Tools which makes it pretty damn easy to transfer pictures, MP3s, etc. to your phone, to the point where it’s necessary to “hack” your phone to regain that functionality.
Sprint may require some third-party tricks (or not). Check out [Howardforums.com](http://Howardforums.com) for more than you’ve ever wanted to know about your phone.
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/10 "2006-08-10T19:34:07Z")
> [@Omniscient](#):
>
> So I’ve found a way to take my existing music and edit the MP3s into short 15 second snippets of sound for use as a ringtone. All legal under fair use as far as I know since I own the songs.
By owning the songs do you mean you own them as in composed and created them yourself, or do you mean you own a CD of the music composed and created by someone else? If the former, you are OK. If the latter, you only own a license to play the music according to the license. That license may not give you the right to rip the music from the CD nor edit it down for use as a ringtone.
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### Author:  [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/11 "2006-08-10T20:41:16Z")
I’ve heard of Audacity, now that you mention it. I have a cable for my Verizon phone, so that should make things easier.
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/12 "2006-08-12T05:12:14Z")
OK, I did some extra futzing around and decided to set up IIS on my PC and create a webpage to download the track from. My phone gave a 406 error when I tried to d/l the file, and some further web searching seems to indicate that my phone won’t accept MP3 ringtones. Crap.
Anyone have any ideas? Can I convert these things to another format? Anyone know where I can figure out what files my phone will use as a ringtone?
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### Author:  [@friendlessboob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friendlessboob)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/13 "2006-08-12T05:40:34Z")
If you can get the file small enough (may need to convert format) you can jsut mail them to your phone as an attachment. I did that, no need for SW or cables or anything…but it needs to be quite small…so maybe thats nt really going to do you any good…nm
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### Author:  [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-song-to-a-phone-as-a-ringtone/368107/14 "2006-08-12T09:42:57Z")
> [@Omniscient](#):
>
> Anyone have any ideas? Can I convert these things to another format? Anyone know where I can figure out what files my phone will use as a ringtone?
My guess would be that they are trying to guarantee that you purchase your ringtones. How good their measures are for preventing this will depend–so indeed simply changing it to another format (like WAV) may work, but in the end you might be better to get a different phone/carrier or simply buy downloadable ringtones.